Netanyahu told friendly private broadcaster Channel 14 on Sunday evening that “the intense fighting against Hamas is coming to an end, but that does not mean “the war will end soon”. However, it will enable Israel to move troops to the northern border, where the pro-Iranian terrorist group Hezbollah launched a second front against Israel in October. opened.
Netanyahu – unlike the American media – has not given interviews to Israeli media for years, only to friendly outlets like Channel 14.
Announcing the shift to the north
Israel has located the last organized Hamas battalions in the Gaza Strip in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, and has been operating against targets in the city for weeks despite international criticism. After the intensive phase ended, Netanyahu announced that “some forces could be redeployed back to the north.” This will be done “primarily” for security purposes, but as a precaution to bring back tens of thousands of residents who were displaced there nine months ago.
Netanyahu wants a “partial deal.”
Netanyahu said he would not agree to any deal to end the war in Gaza. However, he was open to a “partial deal” that would include the return of hostages from the Gaza Strip. But Hamas has categorically denied this for weeks. “The goal is to bring back the abductees and uproot the Hamas regime in Gaza,” the Israeli head of government reiterated.
US officials have expressed skepticism about Israel’s goal of completely destroying Hamas. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari also expressed doubts on Wednesday and described Hamas as an “ideology” that cannot be “destroyed”. Many of the hostages’ relatives have been accusing Netanyahu of betraying the hostages for months.
War breaks out between Israel and Lebanon
After eight months of war between the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah and Israel, an open war between Israel and Lebanon looks increasingly likely. Since the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel, Hezbollah has shelled Israeli towns along the border, killing 25 Israelis. Hezbollah says Israel has killed about 350 militants and dozens of civilians in counterattacks in southern Lebanon.
Old ideas about “birthday”.
Asked about a post-war order in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu said in a television interview that Israel would “exercise military control there in the future.” “We want to create a civilian administration, if possible with local Palestinians and possibly external support from countries in the region, to manage humanitarian supplies and then civil affairs in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli leader added.
The ideas have been known for weeks, but most experts doubt their feasibility without involving the Palestinian Authority. And Netanyahu’s right-wing extremist coalition partners are simultaneously pushing for a permanent occupation and the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.
Addressing questions of power politics vs. destiny
In general, there is no news in the whole interview – except that the fight in Rafa is reduced. The interview was primarily intended to serve domestic political purposes: on the one hand, to rally his supporters against the recent rifts in his coalition and the opposition movement against him, which is gaining strength again.
According to his critics, Netanyahu carelessly ignores the real issues — the multi-front war, the fate of hostages and tens of thousands of internally displaced people, as well as the long-term security policy consequences of the Gaza war — in favor of staying in power.
Gaza is the biggest protest since the war began
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people protested against Netanyahu’s government in Tel Aviv and called for new elections. Organizers put the number of demonstrators on Saturday evening at more than 150,000, calling it the largest protest since the Gaza war began eight and a half months ago.
At the demonstration in Tel Aviv, many participants carried slogans such as “Criminal Prime Minister” and “Stop the war”.
Unprecedented attack by Hamas
The war was sparked by an unprecedented major attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, in which the Islamist militants killed 1,194 people and took 251 hostages in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a massive military operation in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, which cannot be independently verified, more than 37,590 people have been killed so far.
Israel’s Defense Minister Jove Galant traveled to Washington on Sunday as fears rose along the border with Lebanon. During talks with US government representatives, he said before his departure that he would “discuss developments in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon”. Israel is ready for any necessary actions in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and elsewhere.