Israel/Palestine

First, the fighting stops in order for hostages to be returned to Israel. By the virtue of this condition, this cease fire is conditional on releasing all hostages. It holds for as long as the hostages are being released. With the last hostage being released, the cease fire ends.

Now, very important: the release of hostages does not obligate Israel to maintain the cease fire beyond this timeframe. There is no such thing as "even if the hostages are released and there is a ceasefire.". Those things are mutually exclusive by the virtue of the conditions set for this first timeframe. The ceasefire is in effect only until all hostages are released or until the ceasefire is broken. And, of course, there will be no hostages to release beyond the first timeframe, so the issue becomes moot past this point.

In either event, "even if the hostages are released and there is a ceasefire" being used in reference to the first timeframe is an oxymoron. Like I said before, something must have been lost in translation.

It is only during the second timeframe that the fate of Hamas is to be determined, as it is up to all parties involved in negotiating the future of Gaza to come to consensus on this matter. The source you previously cited clearly states: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will continue its war against Hamas, even if a temporary cease-fire is reached with the Islamic militant group to release hostages." A temporary ceasefire is by no means the end of the war. And the state of war is maintained past all temporary ceasefires, usually until the enemy sues for peace and surrenders or is eliminated.

The coalition of the countries that mediates the negotiations makes it easier for hamas to choose the former, under more favorable terms for Hamas. And it is conceivable that a cease fire would be negotiated to give time for Hamas to contemplate the two options. It could be about how, not whether, Hamas exits Gaza.

So I see nothing inconsistent in what Netanyahu said and the scenario that the negotiators have been discussing.