The evening in Jerusalem was tense. Against the backdrop of the Middle Eastern wind, which brings the scent of the sea and sand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation on September 4, 2025. His speech was short, but it had the coldness of steel.
βHAMAS must understand: time is running out. Either the hostages will be released, or disarmament will follow β diplomatic or forceful.β
The Pressure That Changed the Game
According to Netanyahu, the organization agrees to concessions only under pressure. And it is this pressure β military, political, human β that has shifted the situation.
The Prime Minister is confident: all hostages can be returned without withdrawing troops from the Gaza Strip. This position sounded like a challenge, but also like a promise.
He gave the green light to a delegation led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to fly to Cairo. There, the fate of people is being decided: lists, routes, guarantees. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel and the USA do not intend to prolong negotiations β days, not weeks.
USA: Ally, Conductor, and Controller
US President Donald Trump reacted in his style β harshly, loudly, and without diplomatic masks. He made it clear: no one will tolerate manipulation by HAMAS. His statement about βHAMASβs readiness for peaceβ was unexpected β like a blow to the heart of the conflict.
Netanyahu thanked Trump publicly. He spoke about support, determination, and alliance. And it was no coincidence that he added: βTrump does not tolerate delays.β
After his address, the Israeli army received orders to reduce active operations and switch to defense β temporarily. This is a rare case when military tactics are adjusted to diplomatic timing.
Voices from Within
Many in Israel call this moment a βtest of faith.β The families of the hostages continue to live between prayer and expectation. They hear promises, but they need results. βThe main thing is to bring them back alive,β they say, and in these words, there is no politics, only pain.
Netanyahu reminded: βWe have not forgotten about you for a moment.β And these words sounded not like rhetoric, but like an internal vow.
Second Stage: Peace Under the Gun
If the first step is exchange, then the second is disarmament. Gaza must be demilitarized. The Prime Minister said this directly: βThis will happen either through diplomacy or through force. The easy way or the hard way β but it will happen.β
This phrase became a new line β dividing faith in negotiations and the inevitability of war. It felt both tired and determined. Israel, in essence, put an end to the illusion that everything can be solved only by talking.
The Eternal Dilemma: When Force Becomes Peace
The paradox of this moment is that both sides talk about peace, but each sees it in its own way. For Israel, peace is control and security. For HAMAS, it is survival and influence. And between these concepts is an abyss.
The army is already preparing scenarios for any outcome. If negotiations fail β strikes will return. If they succeed β a new stage will begin, no less difficult: restoring trust and finding a formula for coexistence.
What Did Trump Mean by βThree-Thousand-Year Catastropheβ?
This phrase exploded the news feeds. It possibly hinted at the endless cycle of Middle Eastern wars, at the history of peoples who cannot let go of the past. Or it was just an emotional gesture of a politician who is used to speaking in words resembling movie titles.
Be that as it may, it is in this emotionality that the nerve of the era lies. The world awaits a deal that could become either the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning.
Between Sukkot and Silence
Netanyahu promised that, βwith Godβs help,β during the Sukkot holiday, he would be able to announce the return of all hostages. Perhaps this is the most personal moment of the entire speech. He spoke not as a politician, but as a person whose country lives on the edge.
In Israel, such words are not perceived as PR. They are perceived as a vow.