In a televised address following his government’s approval of a deal to free hostages and end the war in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he refused to heed critics who doubted Israel could bring the captives home.

“I believed that by applying sustained military pressure, paired with intensive diplomatic efforts, we could absolutely secure the return of all our hostages,” Netanyahu said. “And that is exactly what we did.”

The prime minister stressed that he faced immense domestic and international pressure to halt operations in key areas such as Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor and to leave Gaza while Hamas, Hezbollah, and other adversaries were at the height of their power.

“One guiding principle shaped all my decisions: the security of Israel,” Netanyahu said, outlining the goals of the military campaign, including freeing hostages, neutralizing the ballistic and nuclear threats posed by Iran, and weakening the Iranian axis, of which Hamas is a central component.

Netanyahu denied that the current agreement could have been reached earlier, saying Hamas refused to release all hostages while Israeli forces remained deep inside Gaza.

“Hamas only agreed when it felt the sword at its neck,” he said, adding that the pressure continues. He also credited the Trump administration’s diplomatic strategy for isolating Hamas internationally.

The prime minister underscored that Israel’s immediate focus is on recovering the hostages.

“We will bring the bodies of the fallen for burial and work to locate everyone as soon as possible. This is a sacred obligation of mutual responsibility,” he said.

He described the recent conflicts his country fought as yielding “massive victories that are reshaping the Middle East,” while cautioning that challenges remain.

“The war is not over, but significant opportunities exist to expand the circle of peace around us,” he said.

Netanyahu criticized analysts and journalists who claimed hostages could only be freed if Israel fully withdrew from Gaza. He said he calculated that a combination of decisive military operations in Gaza City and strong diplomatic pressure from Trump would compel Hamas to release the captives while Israeli forces retained strategic positions.

As he pledged that Hamas would be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized, Netanyahu concluded his speech with a warning: “If this is achieved peacefully, fine. If not, it will be achieved the hard way.”