(JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday pledged not to free large numbers of Palestinian terrorists or withdraw troops from Gaza as part of a hostage deal with the Hamas terrorist organization.

“We will not withdraw the Israel Defense Forces from the Gaza Strip and we will not release thousands of terrorists. None of this will happen,” Netanyahu told students and staff during a visit to the Bnei David pre-military academy in Eli in the West Bank.

“I hear talk about all kinds of deals. I would like to make it clear: We will not conclude this war without achieving all of its goals. This means eliminating Hamas, returning all of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel,” the premier said.

Established in 1988, B’nei David is the oldest and one of the largest religious Zionist pre-army institutions in Israel. Some 40 per cent of its students have gone on to become officers in the IDF, and since October 7, 14 of its graduates have been killed fighting Hamas terrorists.

Netanyahu’s remarks came as Israel’s national security minister, Otzma Yehudit Party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, in a tweet, threatened to bring down the government if it reaches a “reckless” agreement with Hamas.

His tweet came amid apparent progress in talks on an agreement to free the 136 captives remaining in Gaza whom the terrorist group abducted during its Oct. 7 attack on the northwestern Negev.