Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a “civilizational” war is underway in Gaza against Hamas. And that Israel also defends the European Union against Iran. And he adds that the conflict “can end tomorrow if they surrender unconditionally and release the hostages.” He then explains where the negotiations for the truce are: “We have accepted a temporary ceasefire, to free the hostages. Hamas refuses to accept it because it demands a permanent ceasefire that would leave terrorists in control of Gaza, ready to repeat massacres like that of October 7, 2023. No responsible government would accept this. Today, everyone recognizes that it is Sinwar and the Hamas leaders who are blocking an agreement. »
The arrest warrant
In an interview with Republic Netanyahu also discusses the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court: “My reaction is the same as that of many leaders, including the President of the United States, who said it was scandalous. The prosecutor's request is doubly false. This is based on the assumption of a false symmetry between the Israeli leaders, democratically elected and waging a just war with legitimate means, and Hamas, the terrorist and genocidal organization. It's as if the ICC had put Churchill, de Gaulle and the Nazi leaders, or George W. Bush and Bin Laden, on the same bench. »
And then: “Second, the prosecutor accuses Israel of deliberately targeting civilians. Israel is doing the exact opposite. The IDF has taken measures that no contemporary army has ever adopted in urban combat to limit collateral casualties: it sends SMS, throws leaflets to civilians in the areas that will be involved asking them to abandon them, compromising the 'surprise effect. Thanks to all this, the ratio of civilians killed to combatants – more or less equal – is the lowest in contemporary wars, while Hamas uses civilians as human shields. »
The population of Gaza is starving
Even the accusation of starving the population of Gaza according to the Israeli Prime Minister is a slander: “Since the start of the war, we have authorized the entry into the Gaza Strip of 25,500 trucks carrying half a million tons food and medicine. We have paved new roads and opened new border crossings to trucks. We authorized airdrops of humanitarian aid and allowed the creation of maritime access. Thanks to our policy, the price of food in Gaza has fallen by 80%. » And again: “If we allow terrorism to succeed anywhere, it will spread everywhere. You, Westerners, must understand that this is a war of civilizations. Israel is on the front line. His victory against terrorism will also be yours. »
Iran
Then he points the finger at Iran, also a danger for the West: “Ayatollah Khamenei keeps repeating it. Iranian containment begins with victory in Gaza. We must do everything possible to prevent the Iranians from getting their hands on the atomic bomb. If they succeeded, they would shake up the Middle East, then Europe. In fact, they are developing ballistic missiles so that they can one day target Western capitals, including Washington. They already have missiles capable of hitting Israel. »
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