Hamas “must be destroyed” for peace to be achieved in Gaza, according to the Israeli Prime Minister.
Benjamin Netanyahu made the vows in a Wall Street Journal op-ed released yesterday.
It comes as 250 Palestinians have been killed in the last 24 hours, including over 100 in an airstrike on a refugee camp.
Calls for aid has also intensified in the war-torn region in recent days.
To our Christian friends around the world, Merry Christmas.
Christmas is supposed to be a time of good will to all men and peace on Earth. Well, we don't have peace on Earth, not in our part anyway, and we certainly don't see good will to all men.
We're facing monsters,… pic.twitter.com/NleTWVybSb
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) December 25, 2023
The op-ed, titled ‘Our Three Prerequisites for Peace,’ has laid out Israel's demands for peace.
These are:
- The destruction of Hamas
- Demilitarising Gaza
- Deradicalisation of Palestinian society
Mr Netanyahu said once these conditions are met, “Gaza can be rebuilt and the prospects of a broader peace in the Middle East will become a reality”.
“Successful deradicalization took place in Germany and Japan after the Allied victory in World War II.
“Today, both nations are great allies of the US and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in Europe and Asia.”
Egypt has proposed a peace plan for Gaza, but neither side has yet commented.
Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis in a surprise attack on October 7th.
Since then, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed in Gaza in retaliation – of which 8,000 are reported to have been children.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem | Image: Abir Sultan/AP/Press Association Images
