Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the intense battles being fought by the Israeli army against Hamas fighters in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza "are close to ending." Netanyahu stated in an interview with Israeli Channel 14, "The violent phase of the battles against Hamas is nearing its end. This does not mean that the war is about to end, but the war is in its violent phase is close to ending in Rafah."
The Prime Minister, in his first interview with an Israeli television channel since the war against Hamas began on October 7, added, "After the violent phase ends, we will redeploy some of our forces to the north, and we will do this primarily for defensive purposes, but also to return displaced residents to their homes."
Netanyahu pointed out in his remarks that he is "not prepared to establish a Palestinian state and will not allow Gaza to be handed over to the Palestinian Authority." He said, "Settlement in the Gaza Strip is not a goal or a realistic matter, and we will maintain security control over Gaza in the coming period; we tried to transfer responsibility to the clans, but Hamas thwarted the attempt."
He further stated, "We are at war on seven fronts: Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraqi and Syrian militias, the West Bank, and Iran." In another context, Netanyahu mentioned, "We have seen a dramatic halt to U.S. weapons, and we can continue the war with what we have, but we prefer to obtain more. We must increase investment in our local military industries to stop relying on others."
In response to a question, he stated, "We have not yet confirmed the success of the assassination operation of Hamas leader Raed Saad. I am willing to reach a partial agreement with Hamas to recover part of the hostages, and this is not a secret."
He continued, "There are calls for my assassination and vile appeals against me. There is an organized and funded minority here whose goal is to overthrow the government and replace it with a leftist government that will establish a Palestinian state."
He noted, "We are fighting battles in Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and in every other place; no one has immunity, and our operations in the West Bank are very intense and include air power." He addressed the issue of providing special protection for sensitive facilities that may be targeted, adding, "Our economy is strong, but it is suffering under the burden of war."
