ALBAWABA- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed to press ahead with what he called the “decisive stage” of the war in Gaza, pledging a sweeping victory over Hamas while ruling out partial agreements with mediators.
“What began in Gaza must end in Gaza,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel’s campaign had already “broken the Iranian axis in Gaza and Lebanon.”
He stressed that Israel was fighting a “legitimate war” in response to the October 7 attacks and expressed confidence in the army, saying, “Our soldiers have given us strength and we will triumph.”
Netanyahu said U.S. President Donald Trump urged him to “go into Gaza with full force” and “finish the war,” rejecting any partial agreements in favor of a decisive outcome.
His remarks come amid rising tensions inside Israel’s leadership. CNN reported that National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi Zamir directly confronted Netanyahu in recent meetings, warning against an expanded offensive in Gaza due to risks to Israeli hostages and soldiers.
Zamir urged ministers to consider a ceasefire proposal backed by mediators and accepted by Hamas, but Netanyahu rejected the idea, insisting on a comprehensive deal securing the release of all hostages at once.
According to Channel 13, Netanyahu’s allies told mediators to ignore public disputes and signaled openness to limited negotiations, while far-right ministers attacked Zamir’s stance as “weak” and “defeatist.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 7 quoted the Minister of Sports and Culture as calling for the war to end only with Hamas’s defeat and Israel’s sovereignty extended across “all the land,” ruling out any possibility of a Palestinian state.
On the ground, the human toll continues to mount. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported Monday that 106 Palestinians were killed and 281 wounded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to 63,633, with about 159,000 injured.
Nearly two million residents, around 90 percent of the enclave’s population, remain displaced amid widespread destruction and ongoing bombardment.
