Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released a special message to the nation on Motzei Shabbos, making his first comments to the public on the hostage deal that was approved in the pre-dawn hours of Shabbos morning. Netanyahu committed in his remarks to achieve all the goals of the war, including ensuring that Hamas will not be able to control Gaza in the future. He also addressed the rumors that the IDF is withdrawing from the Philadelphi Route and stated that not only is Israel not giving up control of the route but is also increasing forces in the area. In his remarks, Netanyahu revealed that both outgoing President Biden and incoming President Trump provided assurances that Israel could resume the war if negotiations on the second phase of the hostage deal prove futile. Netanyahu continued by saying that he insisted on three crucial principles during the negotiations. “Hamas wanted a permanent ceasefire as a precondition,” Netanyahu said. “I refused to agree to this, and my position was accepted. If we need to return to fighting we will do it in new ways and with increased power.” The second key principle was the number of living hostages slated for release in the first stage. “I insisted on increasing the number of living hostages released in the first stage and succeeded,” the Prime Minister said. The third key principle was the Philadelphi Corridor. Netanyahu denied the reports that Israel is withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor, emphasizing: “We’ll increase, not decrease, the number of forces in the Philadelphi Corridor,” adding that control over the Egyptian-Gaza border is necessary to achieve the goals of the war. “We won’t allow weapons to be smuggled into Gaza or the hostages to be smuggled out,” he stressed. Netanyahu also lauded Trump’s decision to remove all limits on the shipments of weapons to Israel. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)