‘They understand that Hamas is part of the Iranian axis of terror, which threatens them as much as it threatens us.’
By Shula Rosen
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the German newspaper Bild that although certain Arab nations may criticize Israel for its military operations in Gaza, they tacitly support the Jewish State’s war against Hamas.
Netanyahu said that when he speaks with Arab leaders “they basically understand [the war] and even tacitly agree with it.”
He continued, “They understand that Hamas is part of the Iranian axis of terror, which threatens them as much as it threatens us.”
In the interview, Netanyahu didn’t specify which leaders or which Arab nations he was referring to, but with the mention of Iran, he seemed to imply countries, such as Saudi Arabia, that recognize Iran as a threat.
Netanyahu again stressed the need to operate in Rafah to eliminate Hamas’s military capabilities in the area and to search for hostages who are thought to be kept there.
Netanyahu compared the plans to operate in Rafah to the United States armed forces’ campaign in Mosul.
He said the IDF has already “destroyed three-quarters of the Hamas battalions” in Gaza and that giving up would be like “leaving a quarter of ISIS in Mosul.”
Netanyahu added that if the IDF gave up its Rafah campaign, Hamas would “reposition itself and start again.”
The United States and other nations have been urging Israel not to operate in Gaza over concerns of mounting Gazan casualties and the fact that an estimated 1.4 million Palestinian civilians have evacuated to the area on the border with Egypt.
However, the IDF has said it has a plan to safely evacuate civilians from Rafah while conducting military operations in the area.
In the Bild interview, Netanyahu also discussed the issue of civilian deaths, which the Hamas Health Ministry has said are now over 31,000.
The Israeli Prime Minister said that Hamas fails to make the distinction between terrorists and civilians and he said that of the 31,000, at least 13,000 were terrorists.