This is a really precarious moment in Israel's history right now, as I'm sure you and I agree. Israel's been at war now for more than 50 days against Hamas, given what happened back on October seventh, three days into this temporary truce right now. How meaningful is it, Mr. President, right now for Israelis to see at least some good news, some of the hostages being reunited with their families?

It is extremely important because we see human beings who are in the abyss without knowing their whereabouts and their fate, as well as the fact that they themselves are totally secluded and disconnected from the rest of the world. The fact that you see young girls, a young boy, or grandmothers walking through and going to Israeli hospitals and coming back and meeting their families is a huge emotional storm and something that gives us a lot of happiness, but of course, happiness with a lot of sorrow in it because there are at least 200 hostages still held out there under Hamas-Dure, somewhere in bunkers, somewhere without knowing how they live and what they're aware about, some family torn apart. Most of the hostages that were released have still family members left behind, meaning tearing the families apart. And as you can see, throughout the last few days, Hamas is treading on our psychology with a passive-aggressive approach which wants to drive us as a nation crazy because of the emotions filled and because of the extreme pain and worry of so many relatives to their friends and family who are out there in Gaza.

As you know, Israel's Defense Minister, Yorah Galant, said yesterday, and I'm quoting him now, Any further negotiations will be held under fire. Is he effectively closing the door to extending the truths?

We have to first remember that there are a few more days of release of the hostages, while Israel is releasing terrorists who are charged and prisoned for terror activities, including taking lives of people or threatening to take lives of people. And this is a very gruesome process. I don't want to speak about the next step, but it is clear to us that if we want to prevent further terror against Israel from Gaza and change the future of the Middle East and the way the Palestinians have some hope, the only way to do it in a human way in order to protect the human values in the region is by uprooting Hamas, and that will lead to the fact that we have to take further action and undermine Hamas's military capabilities.

I'm actually just to get your thought. If Hamas agrees to another day, another few days of this truce in order to release more Israeli hostages, should Israel accept that?

That is already being negotiated. First of all, it was agreed in the original agreement, which has been violated constantly by Hamas, but still implemented piecemeal that if they bring another 10 prisoners or so, the exact number, of course, is in the agreement itself, there will be an extension of another day of humanitarian pause. So that is already agreed. They can definitely bring many more hostages and release them. They said that they don't know where the whereabouts are. That looks to us totally false because they've been controlling Gaza to the last Iotah for the last 20 odd years in a very cruel regime that didn't let anybody move without their permission. So that is why I truly hope that in this instance, they will release more and more and they will get more and more humanitarian pauses. As to what happens afterwards, it is clear that we intend to complete the task, meaning undermine the military capabilities of Hamas as an entity and enable a different future for those who live near the border, for Israelis and Palestinians, for the ability to undermine this Empire of evil, which operates from Tehran and of course, impacts the entire region.

I just want to be precise, Mr. President, in order to get more Israeli hostages released, do you think Israel should agree to extend the truce?

So far the agreement speaks about-The.

Agreement was.

For four days. -but it says specifically that any additional 10 or so hostages released, there will be another day of humanitarian pause, and that is what is being implemented. As to what happens next, there is a Qatari delegation in Israel today, and I think they're talking to the relevant authorities in the Israeli government as to the next phase.

So you are open to extending the truths?

Sorry, again, the way you interpret the word truth is complicated. We've already agreed, we made it public, that if above the initial four days, there's a release of further prisoners, 10 per day or something, 10, 11, I don't have the exact numbers, we will extend the humanitarian pause, meaning the truths. That's the way it is.

You call it a pause?

Yes. But our clear intention is to go in and complete the job because we must not enable this base of terror, this platform of terror, which was taken over by a cruel coup d'etai in 2007 by Hamas to continue. And how would you expect anybody who went through these horrific torments and horrific sin and this barbaric attack on October seventh with rape and torture and beheading and chopping and mutilating bodies and abducting hostages? How do you expect anybody to go back there if there's no complete end to this threat?

Let's talk a little bit about looking down the road after this war with Hamas. You have said Israel, and I'm quoting you now, can't leave a vacuum in Gaza. Will Gaza be governed by a revitalized Palestinian authority, as President Biden has proposed?

This is something really important to go into and discuss because people have to be serious. If we want to prevent the recurrence of further terror, if we want to go into a stable horizon in the region, we have to be lucid about it. Is there any force in the world, in the region, which is willing to take over and run the place in terms of the security and preventing further horrors, sadistic and barbaric jihadist activity? Somebody has to say who it's going to be when there are nations who say we won't have boots on the ground, when there are nations who say, of course not, we leave the dirty job to you guys. So when Israel says right now the security and well-being of this place in terms of the security element, meaning fighting terror, enforcing law and order, adjudicating and so forth, will stay in Israeli hands until there is an agreement. One has to build the alternative. The alternative needs to be discussed in various key places and see what's next. In the interim, there has to be a major humanitarian aid and a major humanitarian effort. In this respect, for example, I commend the hospital which is being built now in the north of the country, is now being built so far by the United Arab Emirates.

There are other countries who are making similar efforts, and we commend them as well. But the most advanced project so far, for example, for another new hospital in the Gaza Strip is done by United Arab Emirates. And yesterday trucks came in in order to build this hospital in Rafa. So there should be an overall effort to make something that makes sense for the future and the well-being of Israelis and Palestinians.

What should the governing authority of Gaza be after this Israel Hamas war, if it's not the Palestinian authority?

I've been saying many, many times, and I'll say it again, this is not only a war between Israel and Hamas. This is actually a war that defends the real values of liberal and democratic countries or countries who believe in the rules of the family of nations, as opposed to an Empire of evil, which is an Empire of jihadists, which believe only in eradicating all of us out of here, not only Jews, but also Christians, and the next will be Europe and the United States. So that is what the war is all about, and therefore how you come out of the war, meaning how do you make sure that what will come out of the war will promise regional security and stability, will promise peace, or let's say, ceasing of fire and terror. This is the key. This has to be analyzed clearly and in a very punctual way, not slogans. I heard President Biden's speech on Friday, and from his vacation, and I truly welcome these words. I mean, these were important words as he spoke about the fact that there is an Empire of evil which wants to undermine all the peace processes in the region.

It is clear that what Hamas did under the instructions of Iran is to undermine the ability of further peace agreements following the Abraham Accords, also peace agreement with Saudi Arabia and offering a huge, huge connection between Europe all the way down to Australia.