The Israel again rejected appeals to UN Security Council for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza war.

“Anyone who supports the ceasefire is essentially supporting the continuation of Hamas’ regime of terror in Gaza,” Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, told the UN Security Council. Israel would not be able to protect its citizens in such a case, he argued.

One could not call for a ceasefire and at the same time claim to seek a resolution to the conflict, Erdan continued, stressing that Hamas is not a reliable partner to achieve peace in the region.

“Hamas has publicly stated – you all have seen it – that it will repeat (the attack it launched on) October 7th again and again until Israel ceases to exist. How would you respond and protect your citizens from such a clear threat, with a ceasefire?” Gilad Erdan said.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN also noted that the cycle of violence could only be closed if Hamas handed over all hostages and those involved in the October 7 attack against Israel.