Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to back any deal to end the Gaza war, stating that he would only agree to a "partial" cease-fire and sparking an uproar from the families of the hostages held by Hamas.
Netanyahu told a conservative, pro-Netanyahu TV station on Sunday that he was "prepared to make a partial deal that will return to us some of the people."
"But we are committed to continuing the war after a pause in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas," he emphasized. "I'm not willing to give up on that."
The prime minister's comments are consistent with his previous terms for a deal but come at a critical time, as Israel and Hamas drift further apart over the latest cease-fire proposal.
Netanyahu's remarks are in stark contrast to the agreement that President Joe Biden outlined last month, which some had dubbed "Netanyahu's deal."
The three-phased plan would lead to the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for the freedom hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages unless there's a permanent cease-fire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Netanyahu, however, has insisted that Israel remains committed to destroying Hamas' military and any possibility of governing the territory.
In a statement late Sunday after Netanyahu's TV interview, the Palestinian militant group said his position was "in contrast" to what the U.S. administration said that Israel approved.
The families of hostages are becoming impatient with Netanyahu, seeing his hesitation to move forward on a deal as politically motivated.
A group representing the families criticized Netanyahu's remarks, viewing them as Israel's rejection of the latest cease-fire proposal.
"This is an abandonment of the 120 hostages and a violation of the state's moral duty toward its citizens," it said, noting that it held Netanyahu responsible for returning all the captives.
