Posted on 08/16/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
The Prime Minister's Office on Saturday evening clarified that the government’s policy regarding negotiations with Hamas is to pursue a comprehensive deal only, not partial agreements.
"We will agree to a deal in which all hostages are released in one go and in accordance with our terms for ending the war," the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement.
The stated conditions include: dismantling Hamas' weapons, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, Israeli control over the security perimeter, and the establishment of an alternative governing entity in Gaza that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority, and that will live peacefully with Israel.
This clarification follows an interview given by Topaz Luk, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he addressed the possibility of a partial deal.
"Netanyahu will do everything to release the hostages as he has done in the past," Luk told "Meet the Press."
Luk also stated, "The Prime Minister does not rule out the war objectives — ensuring Hamas no longer threatens Israel and releasing all hostages." He emphasized that "politics must be removed from the hostage issue."
Luk added, "The Prime Minister and Cabinet members believe a comprehensive deal is achievable." After the government decided to launch an operation to seize the Gaza Strip and the Chief of Staff approved the plan to capture Gaza City on Wednesday, Netanyahu’s advisor claimed, "We are doing everything to avoid harming the hostages; professional teams are working on this."