Israel will not 'bow down to international dictates' on two-state solution: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his stance against a two-state solution and an independent Palestinian state during televised remarks.

"We shall not bow down to international dictates in regards to a future deal with the Palestinians. Such a compromise should be through direct negotiations with no preconditions," he said.

"How can we give recognition to such a state after the massacre of October 7. This would be a reward for terrorism," he continued.

The prime minister also said that Israel’s military "pressure is working" against Hamas, claiming the army has "reached areas in Gaza that the enemy never imagined".

"Whoever is telling us not to operate in Rafah is telling us to lose an ear," he said.

Netanyahu also calls Hamas’s demands in negotiations to reach a truce in Gaza "delusional".

The stated policy of the United States, Israel’s closest ally and backer, is that a two-state solution should follow the end to the war in Gaza.