Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that the war against the Islamic Resistance Movement (agitation) in Gaza, it will be “long and difficult,” noting that he discussed in the War Council a proposal to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of prisoners in the Strip.
Netanyahu indicated – during a press conference in Tel Aviv – that the Israeli army has intensified its air strikes in recent days to help its forces enter Gaza by land, stressing that a special Israeli force entered the northern Gaza Strip last night.
He added that Israel “is waging a war against humanity against barbarism, and our friends in the Arab countries and the world know that if we do not win, their turn will come,” noting that the goal of the war is “clear”, which is to eliminate Hamas’ capabilities and release the hostages, as he put it.
He also repeated his accusation of the resistance in Gaza of using hospitals and civilians in its operations.
He pointed out that he met the families of the “kidnapped” Israelis in Gaza, and that he told them that his government would do everything in its power to return them, stressing that communications to free them are continuing and that expanding the ground operation does not contradict efforts to release them.
Big failure
Regarding the processAl-Aqsa floodlaunched by the resistance factions, led by Hamas, on October 7, Netanyahu said that what happened was a “major failure” and that everyone must give answers after the war, because the priority now is to save the state.
He stressed that this failure will be investigated, which will include everyone, as he put it.
He also said that Israel “will not back down from the goal of eliminating Hamas” and seeks to move to the next stage and expand the ground operation.
He accused Iran of supporting Hamas financially, noting at the same time that he “cannot say that it (Tehran) was behind the planning of the attacks” that targeted Israel on the seventh of this month.
