Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday that Israel “intends to” take full control of the entire Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas and transfer authority to non-hostile Arab forces, outlining his most comprehensive vision yet for ending the war as his security cabinet met to approve the operation.
Speaking to Fox News host Bill Hemmer ahead of the critical security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu laid out his vision for completely dismantling Hamas rule and transferring Gaza to new leadership.
“We have three missions: One, to eliminate Hamas as a governing and military power in Gaza, otherwise there’s no future for anyone and we will have many more kidnappings and hostages,” Netanyahu declared. “Second, achieve the liberation of all of our hostages. And third, make sure that Gaza doesn’t pose a threat to Israel again.”
The prime minister emphasized that Israel’s goal is liberation, not occupation. “We don’t want to keep it; we want to have a security perimeter,” he said when asked about seizing control of the entire 26-mile Gaza Strip. “We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body. We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us, and give Gazans a good life.”
Netanyahu framed the military operation as a rescue mission for both Israelis and Palestinians. “We want to liberate ourselves, liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas,” he stated, describing Hamas as holding “two million Palestinian and Gazan hostages” under their tyrannical rule.
The prime minister forcefully defended Israel’s military tactics against international criticism, particularly charges of genocide. “If we are practicing genocide, we sure would be doing a very bad job of it,” Netanyahu said, citing Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s recent comments. “Because we could have basically eliminated the entire population of Gaza, but we went in the other direction.”
Netanyahu described unprecedented efforts to minimize civilian casualties, including providing two million tons of food aid to the Palestinian population. “We did something that no army in history has ever done, supplying humanitarian food to the enemy’s population because we distinguish between combatants and noncombatants,” he stated.
Defending the scope of military operations, Netanyahu described Hamas as “monsters” and compared them to “a neo-Nazi army,” citing their tactics against both Israelis and Palestinians. “Look at what they’re doing to our people, look at the way they massacred, beheaded our men and women, our babies, and they are also cruel to their own people,” he said. “When we try to take them away from the combat zones, they shoot them.”
The prime minister detailed how Hamas has weaponized Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, using “billions of dollars” to create what he called “a Gaza terror city underground.”
“The reason you see this devastation is not because Israel is wiping out these structures filled with civilians: it’s because they have been booby-trapped by Hamas,” he explained.
Addressing President Trump’s recent comments about conditions in Gaza, Netanyahu emphasized plans for a “humanitarian surge” that would quadruple distribution points and establish safe routes for aid delivery. He confirmed ongoing coordination with the Trump administration on both humanitarian efforts and post-war governance plans.
“President Trump has been terrific. He is supporting us in so many ways,” Netanyahu said, revealing they speak approximately weekly. The prime minister detailed five principles for Gaza’s post-war governance that he and Trump have established: “One, Hamas has to lay down its arms. Two, Gaza has to be demilitarized. Three, the hostages have to be released. Four, Israel will be responsible for overall security. If there is an attempt to have a resurgence of Hamas terrorism, we are going to take care of it. Five, let Gaza be governed by a civilian authority that is not hostile — because I don’t want to occupy Gaza forever.”
“I don’t want to govern Gaza,” Netanyahu reiterated. “I want to have a different governance that is willing to live in peace with Israel and give Gazans a different future.”
The prime minister revealed strong support from Israeli soldiers and commanders for completing the mission. “Talk to the soldiers, the commanders. They tell me ‘Prime Minister, don’t bother with the press. Press on with the mission of liberating Gaza from these murderers,’” he said, adding that troops across Israeli society are saying, “‘Let us do the job. We can separate the civilians from the combatants, we can eliminate Hamas, liberate the remaining hostages.’”
Netanyahu expressed optimism about expanding the Abraham Accords after the war’s conclusion, suggesting “at least five or six countries” in the Middle East could join the normalization framework. He indicated the October 7th attack was designed not only to destroy Israel but to derail potential peace with Saudi Arabia, the region’s leading Arab nation.
Regarding the remaining hostages, Netanyahu maintained determination to secure their release through combined military pressure and international diplomacy. Israeli officials believe 20 hostages remain alive in Gaza, with the bodies of 30 more still held by Hamas. “I believe we can get the others, but we have to combine the right military tactics — without military pressure, nothing works,” he said.
The prime minister also revealed recent conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he encouraged an agreement with President Trump on Ukraine and welcomed Putin’s stated opposition to Iranian nuclear enrichment.
Netanyahu concluded with defiance against international pressure, declaring that Israel must “complete the job of eliminating the last proxy of Iran that is still standing.” He emphasized that despite criticism, “People say you cannot release the hostages and eliminate Hamas. I say you can. We intend to complete the job.”
The prime minister predicted that victory would reshape regional dynamics: “We took on a seven-front war, secured the peace, and expanded the peace after this victory. Expanding the Abraham Accords, creating a different Middle East. That’s what we are in the process of doing.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
Read the full article here