Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday from Washington that he will only negotiate a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if the Palestinian territory is completely demilitarized. According to Netanyahu, this demand will be discussed during the 60-day truce proposed by the mediators, while delegations from Israel and the terrorist group Hamas hold indirect talks in Doha to reach an agreement that will put a stop to the conflict that began on October 7, 2023.

In a video statement issued after his visit to US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu explained that his administration considers Hamas's laying down its weapons and relinquishing any governing or military capacity in Gaza to be"fundamental conditions." "At the beginning of this ceasefire, we will enter into negotiations to permanently end the war," the Israeli president said. He warned that if this goal is not achieved through diplomatic means within the 60 days, Israel will opt for"other means, using force, the force of the heroic army."

The current proposal on the table, Netanyahu indicated, calls for a 60-day truce in exchange for the release of half of the approximately 20 hostages still alive in Gaza. During this period, the parties would negotiate the possibility of converting the temporary pause into a permanent ceasefire, with demilitarization as the central point. If no agreement is reached, the truce could be extended until the terms for the"day after" are defined.

Netanyahu insisted that the duration of the operation in Gaza is due to the"presence of thousands of armed fighters" and justified the continuation of the offensive by calling the Israeli military operation "one of the most brilliant in history," while emphasizing the intention to free the hostages "in the best possible way."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar added from Vienna that the government is willing to offer "free passage into exile" for Hamas leaders remaining in Gaza, hoping this measure could facilitate an end to the conflict. Saar drew a comparison with the Palestine Liberation Organization's withdrawal from Beirut in 1982 and questioned the possibility of handing over administration of Gaza to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)."We are not going to hand over control to an entity that has no popular support, that doesn't even control the West Bank, and that still pays salaries to terrorists," the minister commented.

Saar also rejected accusations of attempted forced expulsions of the Palestinian population, asserting that no such plan exists and that the internal displacements that have occurred are the result of"protection measures during the fighting." He reiterated that any departure of Palestinians must be voluntary and depend on the willingness of third countries to accept them.

Currently, according to official figures, there are about 50 Israeli hostages held in Gaza, of whom an estimated 20 are still alive. According to the proposed exchange, live hostages and the remains of others would be released during the truce in exchange for an as yet undetermined number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.