 "Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel PM")
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas demands for a cease-fire and vowed to press ahead with Israel's military offensive in Gaza until achieving absolute victory.
Netanyahu made the comments Wednesday shortly after meeting the visiting U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who has been traveling the region in hopes of securing a cease-fire agreement.
We are on the way to an absolute victory, Netanyahu said, adding that the operation would last months, not years. "There is no other solution."
He ruled out any arrangement that leaves Hamas in full or partial control of Gaza. He also said that Israel is the only power capable of guaranteeing security in the long term.
Netanyahu also called for the replacement of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
Blinken was scheduled to give a news conference later Wednesday.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
