Netanyahu Slams Ceasefire with Hamas: We Got Nothing

Source: Al-Manar TV, 19-06-2008

‘Israeli' opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) harshly slammed the government decision to declare a temporary ceasefire with Hamas Thursday, saying ‘Israel' achieved nothing but in fact agreed to allow the Palestinian group to rearm in the future.

"We didn't get Gilad back. We got nothing. The government is allowing Hamas to go about rearming before the next round of terror attacks," he said. "I can understand the disappointment Gilad Shalit's family must feel. I wouldn't have agreed to this make-believe ceasefire, but since the government obviously did, one has to wonder why it didn't prerequisite his release. It's inconceivable," said Netanyahu.

"I would like to know, what did we achieve here exactly?" he asked, noting that "Hamas would not stop rearming, it will only use this time to bring more Qassam rockets and Grad rockets into the Strip."

"In the next conflict we will find ourselves facing deadlier weapons and we'll pay a heavier price. We have to have faith in our own military strength and we have to utilize it to bring Hamas down. Anything else is escapism."

"If Hamas has grown weaker, why allow it to become strong again?" Netanyahu wondered, claiming that the ‘Israeli' government was allowing a Hizbullah-like framework to be established on the outskirts of Ashkelon. "It will end up costing us dearly."