BERLIN, January 30. /TASS/. Israel will not stop its operation in the Gaza Strip even after all hostages held by Hamas are released, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in an interview with Germany’s Bild.

When asked if the Israeli government is ready to make a deal to end the fighting if all hostages are released and drop the idea of completely exterminating Hamas, he said, "My answer is no." "We want to release the hostages but this will be possible only in case of military pressure in Gaza, Khan Yunis and in all other places where Hamas is present," he said. "And other countries, such as Egypt, should continue pressing Hamas. But we will not agree to stop the war until Hamas is defeated both militarily and politically."

Israel’s goals

The AFP news agency reported on January 28 that US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns had held a meeting in Paris with representatives of Egypt, Israel and Qatar. NBC News, in turn, reported that the parties had agreed on the framework of a deal between Hamas and Israel, which provided for a phased exchange of hostages held by Hamas militants and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, as well as for pauses in fighting and humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza. On Tuesday, Hamas said it had received a proposal for a deal with Israel that had been hammered out at the Paris meeting.

The top Israeli diplomat noted that the proposed measures include a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for a prisoner swap. "The government has decided that we have two goals in this war: the first one is to exterminate Hamas by military means, and the second one is to return all the hostages home," he said.

"Our military pressure resulted in the first agreement on hostages, the release of more than 100 hostages and a short ceasefire. And now we are ready for talks, for another short pause to further negotiate about hostages," Katz said. "Undoubtedly, we won’t stop the war because we want to attain both goals. The release of hostages and a guarantee that Hamas will no longer rule Gaza - we are in difficult talks now to achieve this."

When asked if a war between Israel and Iran is possible, the minister noted that there is already a certain war going on, and Iran is involved. "Iran prefers to act via its proxies, either Islamic Jihad in the south or Hezbollah in the north, or the Houthis, who are attacking Israel from Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq, who have already attacked Israel," Katz said. "If there is a war, it will be a war with Iran, as it were.".