Ofir Gendelman, the Arabic-language spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, gave a statement today in which he emphasized that "the war could be over today."
He gave two conditions for ending the war: the release of the hostages and the surrender and disbanding of Hamas.
"If Hamas continues to fight, the residents of Gaza must know that it does not care for them," Gendelman stated. "Hamas prefers not to free the hostages instead of pursuing the best interests of the residents of Gaza."
He also stated that IDF forces had begun their operations in the south of the Gaza Strip. To the residents of the Gaza Strip, he said: "Hamas does not care about you. After the defeat of Hamas the Gaza Strip will be rebuilt anew. Gazans can live a life far from terror and violence. They will have a chance to live in peace and prosperity, because there will be no terror organization left in the Gaza Strip to threaten it."
"Why not live like the UAE? You have beaches. You could turn Gaza into a garden of Eden, if it is not ruled by terrorists who threaten its existence."