Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Motzei Shabbos spoke to the press on Motzei Shabbos about Hamas’s refusal of the hostage release deal, Iran, and political issues.

Netanyahu began his address by expressing condolences to the family of IDF soldier G’haleb Sliman Alnasasra, who was killed in a Hamas ambush in Gaza on Shabbos.

“I have instructed the IDF to respond forcefully [to the ambush] and further increase the pressure on Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “We are in a war of survival – a war on seven fronts. This war has a very heavy price, but we, as a people who desire life, have no choice but to continue to fight for our very existence – until victory.”

Netanyahu, in a response to leftist lies that he is purposely thwarting a hostage release deal with Hamas, added: “I will not surrender to the murderers who committed the most terrible massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. If we surrender to Hamas’ dictates now, all the tremendous achievements we have made will simply be lost.”

“Hamas demands a complete end to the war, a full withdrawal and the rehabilitation of Gaza – conditions that will allow it to rearm and attack again,” Netanyahu stressed, warning that surrendering to Hamas would encourage further abductions, sending a dangerous message that “by abducting Israelis, it is possible to bring the State of Israel to its knees. This is a message that terror pays – endangering the security of the entire free world.”

“There were voices calling for surrender from the very beginning of the fighting. If I had succumbed to them, we would not have entered Rafah, we would not have conquered the Philadelphi Corridor, we would not have eliminated Sinwar, Deif, Haniyeh and Nasrallah, and we would not have changed the face of the Middle East.”

Responding to leftist calls to end the war in return for the remaining hostages, he said: “If we do not complete the destruction of Hamas’ capabilities, the next October 7th is only a matter of time. ”

Netanyahu slammed leftist Israelis’ calls to surrender to Hamas’ conditions, saying that they “echo word for word the enemy’s propaganda. They fuel the psychological war against us and against the families and thwart the release of the hostages.”

The prime minister stressed that the withdrawal of IDF forces from the Philadelphi Corridor and the buffer zone will allow Hamas to rebuild itself and carry out further abductions. “It is my duty to prevent this – and I am preventing it,” he said.

Netanyahu added that he believes that military pressure can bring about the return of the hostages. “I believe it is possible to return our hostages without surrendering.”

“I understand the suffering and the pain,” he added. “It breaks my heart. We will not give up on any hostage – alive or dead.”

Netanyahu also addressed the current talks between Iran and the Trump administration on a nuclear deal, stressing: “I am committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons – I’m not giving up on this, I’m not weakening my stance, and I’m not retreating even a millimeter.”

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated on Isru Chag in Israel)