Netanyahu says cannot confirm Iran's 'involvement' in Al-Aqsa Flood
3 Min Read
The Israeli Prime Minister says he is certain that efforts to destroy Hamas' capabilities will succeed.
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French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in occupied Al-Quds on October 24, 2023 (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his ambitious declared goal of ending the Palestinian Resistance Hamas, noting that the expansion of ground operations will not disrupt efforts to bring back the captives held in Gaza.
"Widening the ground offensive does not clash in any way with our ability to return the hostages," he said.
On recent reports that he was notified by the army intelligence and Shin Bet chiefs of an imminent Hamas operation, Netanyahu denied the reports, calling them "not accurate".
Read more: Resistance foils Israeli incursion in Gaza, forcing withdrawal
Asked about Iran's involvement in the October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the Prime Minister said he acknowledges the support that Iran provides to Hamas but added that he cannot confirm with certainty that "in this specific operation, at this particular moment, they were involved in the micro-planning.”
However, Netanyahu claimed that without Iran, there is no Hamas nor Hezbollah, calling them the "axis of evil."
Netanyahu briefly touched on the economy, expressing his focus on military spending during the conflict and his desire to close some ministries to produce more weapons.
“The only economy that interests me now is the economy of munitions,” he says.
Read more: 'Israel' isolates Gaza from the world, intensifies aggression
On the reconstruction of Gaza Envelope settlements that were damaged in the Resistance operation, Netanyahu claimed that the economy is capable of funding this venture.
On the topic of captives, Netanyahu indicated that contacts for a possible deal will continue, even as the aggression expands. He mentioned discussions about a potential "all for all" deal but refrained from detailing the terms, citing the need for confidentiality for intelligence purposes and considerations the cabinet is debating.
In a related context, responding to a question regarding the relations among war cabinet members, Security Minister Yoav Gallant said they are good.
“The prime minister, Minister Gantz, the ministers in the security cabinet, the war cabinet, are conducting discussions that are to the point, good and professional interpersonal relations, and in the end, we are united behind one goal, to bring the victory.”
Read more: Al-Qassam targets Israeli armored vehicles in northern Gaza Strip
Earlier today, al-Qassam military spokesperson Abu Obeida disclosed that the Israeli occupation entity has delayed negotiations regarding the release of Palestinian detainees, noting that over 50 captives have been killed so far due to Israeli strikes.
Announcing terms of a possible agreement, he said the Resistance is willing to hand over all captives it is holding, but in exchange for the immediate release of all Palestinians in Israeli occupation prisons. He also declared that the Resistance is ready to carry out the agreement in one go or in several stages.
"If the [Israeli] enemy wants to resolve the prisoners' issue once and for all, we are ready. And if they want to go into the process of dealing with the file separately, we are also ready."
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 28, 2023
- Al-Qassam Brigades Spokesperson, Abu Obeida#Gaza #GazaUnderAttack https://t.co/M9Kj6Da1DK
