Offensive against Rafah, pause in negotiations with Hamas, no new elections: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu defended his position at a press conference. In Tel Aviv, thousands of people took to the streets again to protest against him.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains his plans for an offensive on the city of Rafah, despite international criticism. “Of course only after we allow civilians in combat zones to move to safe areas,” Netanyahu told journalists in Jerusalem. He emphasized that they would not bow to international pressure on the issue. Anyone calling for the Rafah operation to be renounced is saying that Israel should lose the war. He won't allow it.
Netanyahu added that the offensive would also take place in the event of an agreement with Hamas to release Israeli hostages. Even if such an agreement is reached, “we will move towards Rafah”, said the head of government.
Israel is planning an offensive on the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Around 1.3 million Palestinians live there – many have fled to the city from other parts of the isolated coastal strip. Several countries, including Israel's closest ally, the United States, are calling for the offensive to be abandoned. G7 foreign ministers warned on Saturday of the dramatic consequences of a possible Israeli ground operation in Rafah and called for “urgent action to resolve the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
Netanyahu sees Hamas demands as “ridiculous”
Netanyahu said he would not allow international parties to dictate any future peace agreement with the Palestinians. “An agreement can only be reached through direct negotiations between both sides, without preconditions,” he emphasized. Netanyahu called Hamas’ demands “ridiculous.”
“We got nothing except illusory demands from Hamas,” the prime minister said in response to a question about why Israeli negotiators were not continuing talks with Hamas. “There hasn’t been a nanometer of change.” Only when these changes would the negotiators return.
Protest against the Israeli government
Meanwhile, thousands of people protested again against his government in Tel Aviv. They called on Netanyahu to do more to free the hostages and to negotiate seriously. “I find it sad that the head of government believes that it is not necessary to send representatives to the negotiations in Cairo, where all parties and mediators are except Israel,” said protester Jair Mozes, whose father Gadi Moses is from Hamas and is being held in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu rejected calls for new elections. “The last thing we need now are elections (…) because that will immediately divide us,” he said. “We need unity now.” The next regular election date would be in 2026.
Palestinian state? Netanyahu vehemently opposes
Netanyahu also responded to media reports that the United States and other allies could recognize a Palestinian state without Israeli consent. Israel, under his leadership, will vehemently resist such “unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,” the head of government said.
For Israeli President Izchak Herzog, a possible Palestinian state appears to be a reward for the war that Hamas started against Israel. He said this at the Munich Security Conference.