Benjamin Netanyahu, photo Getty images
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is “fighting on all fronts” and that the war in the Gaza Strip “will continue for many months.”
Source : Netanyahu during a press conference, quoted by The Times of Israel
Details : Netanyahu says victory needs more time and that the war will continue for many more months. He promises that the fighting will continue until all the goals of the offensive are achieved, the main one being the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages home.
He says Gaza “will not be a threat to Israel” and ultimately there will be no terrorist elements left there.
The Israeli prime minister cited international pressure to end the war before goals are achieved and expressed gratitude for US support in this context, including at a UN Security Council meeting last week, as well as for continued arms supplies.
According to him, the IDF acts to provide “maximum protection” for its soldiers.
Netanyahu stressed: “More than 8,000 terrorists have been killed,” and Hamas’s military capabilities are being destroyed “step by step.”
The prime minister stresses that he is also keen to restore security along the northern border amid constant Hezbollah attacks so that residents who have been evacuated can return home.
He also states: “If Hezbollah expands its fighting, it will take hits it never imagined. So will Iran.”
Background:
- The IDF says Hamas is hiding terrorist infrastructure in civilian institutions in and around the Gaza Strip, including refugee camps and hospitals.
- Despite international criticism from some of Israel's staunchest allies over the increasing number of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, Israel has not changed course regarding its military pursuit of Hamas.
- The Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday that it has destroyed a vast network of Hamas tunnels hidden beneath Palestine Square in Gaza City.