Netanyahu: Gaza war nearing end with Hamas defeat
Shafaq News – Middle East
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the war in Gaza was close to being over, stressing Israel’s objective to eliminate Hamas and secure the release of hostages.
In an interview with Sky News Australia, Netanyahu likened Hamas to Nazi SS forces left in Berlin after World War II and vowed the group would be removed. “We're going to do that anyway,” he affirmed, adding that the conflict could end immediately if Hamas laid down its arms and freed the remaining 50 hostages, at least 20 of whom are alive.
Regarding Israel’s operation to control Gaza City, he alleged that Tel Aviv’s aim was not to occupy Gaza but to “free it from Hamas tyranny,” accusing the group of blocking evacuations after Israel issued mass warnings to civilians before the strikes.
Responding to accusations of genocide and starvation in the strip, he dismissed them as “lies,” contending that Israel “delivered two million tonnes of food since the start of the war, but Hamas had diverted supplies and resold them,” — allegations the group has repeatedly denied.
International organizations, however, have raised widespread concerns over Israel’s military conduct in Gaza, cautioning that restrictions on aid, attacks on civilians and infrastructure, and mass displacement violate international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes.
Netanyahu further claimed that Israel was “on the verge of completing” what he described as a seven-front war involving Iran and its proxies, and argued that victory would open the door to expanding regional peace. He pointed to the Abraham Accords, signed with Arab states during Donald Trump’s first term to normalize relations with Israel, as a model, expressing confidence that additional agreements could follow once the conflict ends.
Referring to recent moves by some Western governments, including France and Australia, to recognize a Palestinian state, the Israeli Prime Minister warned against what he called “appeasement,” comparing such initiatives to the 1938 Munich Agreement, when European powers ceded Czechoslovak territory to Hitler.
Israel has recently entered the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, launching a ground offensive into Gaza and calling up 60,000 additional reservists starting in September. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the overall toll since the Israeli war on October 7, 2023, has risen to 62,192 fatalities and 157,114 injuries, mostly women and children.
