Hamas has dismissed recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the release of hostages and the surrender of Gaza, calling them a “delusional illusion of defeat.”
The Palestinian resistance group said on Wednesday that any release of Israeli captives would only occur through an agreement dictated by the resistance’s terms.
In a statement released via Telegram, senior Hamas Political Bureau member Izzat al-Rishq rebuked Netanyahu’s claim that the war in Gaza would end with the unconditional release of hostages and the elimination of Hamas.
“Netanyahu’s talk about freeing all hostages and forcing Hamas to surrender reflects a psychological illusion of defeat, not the realities on the ground,” al-Rishq said.
‘No release without a deal’
Al-Rishq argued that Israel’s leadership has already failed to retrieve hostages through military operations, acknowledging that a serious agreement with the resistance is the only viable path forward.
“There will be no release of captives without a negotiated agreement that meets the conditions set by the resistance,” he stressed, rejecting any notion of Gaza’s submission.
“Gaza will not surrender. Just as the resistance imposes equations on the ground, it will also dictate the terms of any agreement.”
Netanyahu reiterates war aims
Earlier, Prime Minister Netanyahu said on X that the war’s objectives remain unchanged: ensuring the release of all Israeli hostages, dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, and ending the group’s threat to Israel.
“Our mission is not over,” he said. “Hamas will be defeated and disbanded, and Gaza will cease to pose any danger to Israel.”
His statement comes amid growing domestic pressure and international scrutiny over the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the fate of hostages held since October 7, 2023.
