Netanyahu Determined to Continue Gaza Operation
Israel's Prime Minister Rejects Hamas Demands
Netanyahu Defiant Despite US Threats of Weapons Cuts
JERUSALEM, May 5 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hardened his rejection of Hamas demands for an end to the Gaza war in exchange for a ceasefire on Monday, saying that the Israeli military operation would continue until calm and security were restored.
Netanyahu was defiant in the face of US threats to cut off weapons supplies to Israel unless it agrees to a ceasefire. He said that Israel had the right to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks and that he would not be pressured into accepting a deal that would not guarantee Israel's security.
"We will continue to do whatever it takes to protect our citizens," Netanyahu said in a televised address to the nation. "We will not be deterred by threats or intimidation."
Netanyahu's comments came as the Israeli military continued to pound Hamas targets in Gaza, with airstrikes and artillery fire. Palestinian officials said that the death toll in Gaza had risen to more than 200, including at least 50 children.
The United States has called on Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza, saying that the civilian death toll is unacceptable. However, Netanyahu has said that he will not stop the operation until Hamas agrees to end its rocket fire into Israel.
Even as he called for a day-after strategy for Gaza, Mr. Netanyahu, in saying that the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, was "not a partner for peace," was defiant in the face of U.S. threats to cut off weapons.
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