Any ceasefire deal must not stop Israel from achieving objectives: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any ceasefire deal reached must allow his country to continue its fighting on Gaza until war objectives are attained.

Netanyahu listed – in a statement- Israel’s five conditions that he says are non-negotiable when reaching a deal with Hamas.

He says the deal must ban weapon smuggling to Hamas through the Gaza-Egypt border, and should not allow thousands of fighters to go back to the north of the Strip.  

Israel will also “maximise” the number of live captives returned, the statement added.