Amid signs of growing frustration between the President of the United States (U.S.) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in yesterday’s interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said that differences between the U.S. and Israel are making it difficult to defeat Hamas.
After increased American criticism, Netanyahu says that attempts to impose a Palestinian state on Israel are contrary to the wishes of the vast majority of the Israeli public.
“You don’t have an issue with me. You have an issue with the entire people of Israel. They are truly united like never before, united to destroy Hamas and ensure that we don’t have another Palestinian terrorist state like the one we had in Gaza that could threaten Israel,” he claimed.
At the same time, Netanyahu claims that there is a broad agreement between him and Biden.
“The president and I agreed that we have to destroy Hamas. We cannot leave a quarter of the terrorist Hamas army there in Rafah. We have agreements on the basic goals, but we also have disagreements. In the end, it is Israel who has to decide,” he stressed.
Hitting back at Biden’s comment that entering Rafah is a “red line” for him, Netanyahu says leaving Hamas forces intact is a “red line.”
“We cannot allow Hamas to survive,” he is determined.
He said that Israel is very close to victory.
“One way or another, we will do it,” Netanyahu promises.
He says Israel has killed Hamas’s “number four”, apparently referring to the terror group’s deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri, promising that the army will soon get to other top commanders.
The remarks come as Israel investigates the fate of Hamas’ number three, Marwan Issa, the deputy head of Hamas’ military wing, who was reportedly the target of an airstrike early Sunday morning.
“We are on the way to total victory. On the way to this victory we have already eliminated the number four in Hamas. Three, two and one are on the way. They are all dead people, we will reach them all,” Netanyahu said, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
