Netanyahu: ‘There Would Be a Ceasefire’ if Hamas Releases Hostages

>> NETANYAHU: First of all, let me say that I deeply appreciate, as do the entire people of Israel, President Biden’s and the American government and the American people’s support for Israel with great moral clarity. I think there’s a — the question of a cease-fire, the president himself has said that a cease-fire would be a surrender to Hamas. It would be a victory for Hamas, and he would no more have it than he would have a cease-fire after the al qaeda bombings of the world trade center.

>> MUIR: I know the Biden Administration has also said now is not the time for a cease-fire. What they’re proposing is a humanitarian pause. There will be no pause?

>> NETANYAHU: Well, there will be no cease-fire, general cease-fire in Gaza without the release of our hostages. As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there, we’ve had them before. I suppose we’ll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods, to come in or individual hostages to leave. But I don’t think there’s going to be a general cease-fire. It’s not that I don’t think. I think it will hamper the war effort. It will hamper our effort to get our hostages out because the only thing that works on these criminals and Hamas is the military pressure that we’re exert exerting.

>> MUIR: If Hamas agrees to release the hostages, then there would be a pause?

>> NETANYAHU: Well, there would be a cease-fire for that purpose, and we’re waiting for that to happen. It hasn’t happened so far.