Netanyahu Draws a Red Line: No Peace Until Every Hostage Comes Home
In one of his clearest and most defiant statements since the October 7 massacre, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that no part of President Trump’s peace plan will be enacted until every one of the 48 Israeli hostages is returned.
Speaking before members of The Gvura Families of the Fallen Forum, Netanyahu delivered an unambiguous message both to Hamas and to Israel’s allies: peace cannot be built on the backs of the kidnapped. “Until our people are home, there will be no movement forward — not one clause, not one paragraph of any agreement,” he vowed.
A Deadline — and a Warning
While no official date has yet been set, Netanyahu confirmed that negotiations in Cairo would begin Monday under the framework of Trump’s 21-point plan for ending the war and securing the hostages’ release. Yet the Prime Minister issued a stark ultimatum:
“If the hostages are not released by President Trump’s deadline, Israel will resume fighting — with full backing from all involved nations.”
That statement, echoed by sources close to Washington, signals a rare moment of strategic synchronization between Jerusalem and the Trump administration. The implication is unmistakable: Hamas has a narrow window to comply before Israel resumes the war with international legitimacy and overwhelming force.
🚨BREAKING: PM Netanyahu l: “If the deadline set by President Trump does not result in the release of the hostages, Israel will return to fighting with full backing from all involved countries."
— World Source News (@Worldsource24) October 5, 2025
Israel to Oversee Gaza Disarmament
Netanyahu also reaffirmed that Israel will directly oversee the disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza — a central tenet of Trump’s post-war framework.
“Neither Hamas nor the P.A. (Palestinian Authority) will have any role in governing Gaza after the war,” he stated, stressing that the days of terrorist control and foreign-funded militias on Israel’s border “are over.”
This declaration puts to rest any speculation that Washington or Cairo might push for a “renewed PA administration” in Gaza. The Prime Minister’s message: Gaza will never again be a launchpad for jihad.
The Cairo Front: Hamas Arrives for Negotiations
Meanwhile, sources told Saudi media outlet Asharq that the Hamas delegation in Cairo will be led by Khalil al-Hayya, one of the terror group’s senior leaders long linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the same source, Hamas is “committed to reaching an agreement” — though the phrasing appeared to focus on conditions “to prepare for the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.”
The language is telling: Hamas still insists on parity between kidnapped civilians and convicted terrorists, a position Israel has rejected as “morally bankrupt and strategically delusional.”
Netanyahu tells bereaved families that "if the hostages are not released by the deadline that President Donald Trump set – Israel will return to fighting with the full support of all the involved countries."
— Israel Hayom English (@IsraelHayomEng) October 5, 2025
https://t.co/R1zNCHrUbk /
A War Still Hanging in the Balance
The upcoming Cairo talks mark what may be the last diplomatic chance before Israel re-enters Gaza militarily.
Inside Israel, the public mood has hardened. Families of hostages continue to demand decisive action, and the IDF has already placed elite reservist brigades on alert for redeployment should negotiations collapse.
Trump’s envoy reportedly told Israeli officials that Washington “stands ready to provide complete backing” if Hamas refuses to act. This signals that the next phase could be far more expansive, potentially targeting Hamas’s external leadership in Qatar and Lebanon.
Editorial Reflection: The Deal or the Deluge
Netanyahu’s statement marks a turning point in Israel’s war for both security and moral clarity. For months, Hamas has sought to use hostages as bargaining chips to extract political concessions and international sympathy. But now, with Trump’s reassertion of American leadership and Netanyahu’s steely resolve, the tables have turned.
The world is being forced to confront a truth Israel has known for decades: there can be no peace with those who glorify death and abduction.
The Cairo talks may set the stage for peace — or the prelude to an even greater reckoning. Either way, Israel’s message is the same: every hostage comes home, or Hamas ceases to exist.
