Israeli Prime Minister declares `victory is within reach` 0
(Dan Tri) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will soon achieve `comprehensive victory` in the war against Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Shutterstock).
In an interview with CBS News on February 25, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack in Rafah, Gaza would be delayed for a short time if a temporary ceasefire was negotiated with Hamas forces.
`If we do not reach an agreement, we will carry out the attack (in Rafah). This is something Israel will definitely do because complete victory is our goal and complete victory lies within
`Victory is within reach and it cannot be won until Hamas is eliminated. Once we begin the offensive in Rafah, the period of intense fighting is only a few weeks away.`
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government faces international pressure to cancel Operation Rafah because about 1.4 million civilians are taking refuge in the city, after Israeli bombing pushed them out.
However, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that civilians would be evacuated to previously cleared areas north of Rafah before the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza.
He added that the IDF had taken out 18 of the 24 Hamas battalions in Gaza and that four of the remaining units were concentrated in Rafah, near the enclave’s border with Egypt.
Mr. Netanyahu affirmed that Israeli forces will not force Palestinian civilians into Egypt, which would jeopardize diplomatic relations with Cairo.
Asked about the US demand for a `credible` plan to evacuate displaced Gazans from Rafah, he said: `We are not being pushed. We are on the same page with the US on
The war in the Gaza Strip began when Hamas militants launched surprise attacks on southern Israeli villages on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,100 people and sending hundreds of hostages back to Gaza.
Mr. Netanyahu said that the conflict can only end when Israel achieves three main goals: eliminating Hamas, freeing hostages and ensuring that Gaza will never pose a threat to Israel again.
Negotiations on a ceasefire, which would allow the exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, began last week in Paris.
Mr Netanyahu said a deal would only be possible if Hamas gave up its `crazy demands`.
