Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Israel’s intensified military pressure on Hamas in Gaza has been effective, stressing the Palestinian group must lay down its arms, AFP reports.

“We are negotiating under fire … We can see cracks beginning to appear” in what the group demanded in its negotiations, Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting.

“Hamas must lay down its arms … Its leaders will be allowed to leave,” he added, rejecting claims that Israel was not engaged in negotiations aimed at securing the release of hostages.