Ceasefire ‘impossible’ until hostages released: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

On November 5, 2023, as the war between Israel and Hamas entered the 30th Day, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected any calls for ceasefire in Gaza until all the hostages captured by the Hamas on its October 7, 2023, attack is released.

Netanyahu’s Announcement

“There will be no ceasefire without the return of 200 of our  hostages, we will continue until we beat them,” Netanyahu said reiterating the government position. This should be completely removed from the lexicon,” PM Netanyahu told the crew at the Ramon Airbase in southern Israel, a news agency reported.

“We say this to our friends and enemies. We will simply continue until we beat them, We have no alternative, he added Since the beginning of the Israel Hamas War on October 7, 2023, Netanyahu has repeatedly denied a blanket ceasefire which his government said would allow Hamas to regroup and resupply. “We are continuing with all our force and Israel is refusing a temporary truce that does not include the release of all the hostages, Netanyahu said on November 2, 2023.

Israel Exposes Hamas Tunnels

Earlier on November 5, 2023, the Israel Defence forces have said they had exposed a network of Hamas tunnels, command centres, and rocket launchers beneath and adjacent to the hospitals in Northern Gaza.

Using Hospitals for Self Defence

“Hamas systematically exploits hospitals as a part of its war machines, Israel spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters. He showed audio and video recordings that demonstrated Hamas strategy of using hospitals as a cover and preventing civilians from leaving combat zones. More than 800 rockets fired from Gaza to Israel during the war fell short and landed inside the enclave, killing many Palestinians, he added.

For weeks, the Israeli government has focused attention on Gaza’s main hospital Al-Shifa, accusing Hamas of using it as a shield foe underground operational centres and now Hagari has also made similar allegation for two other hospitals in Gaza namely the Sheikh Hamad Hospital, funded by Qatar and another hospital from Indonesia.

He said that the videos of the Qatari hospital showed an opening to Hamas tunnels and Hamas gunmen firing from at Israeli soldiers from within the hospital. Meanwhile a satellite image of the hospital built by Indonesian groups shoed that rocket launchers located across the street from the hospital.

Arrest of Mossad Agents

The State Television in Iran on November 5, 2023, said that three Israeli spies from the Mossad have been detained in a joint operation with the Afghan Taliban government. Reportedly, the three spies held Iranian identity.

According to the State television, the three had been planning to launch kamikaze drone attacks from the Afghan Border towards targets in Iran and they have been sent for interrogation. Iran also accuses Israel of launching drone attacks on one of its cities called Isfahan

Tehran accuses Israel of having carried out a wave of sabotage attacks and assassinations targeting its nuclear programme. Iran has hailed the October 7, 2023 attacks by the Hamas militants in Israel, which officials there say killed 1400 people, mostly civilians.