Gaza offensive defended by Netanyahu

Netanyahu casts a Gaza push as necessary while facing growing criticism at home and abroad, framing the move as a step to defeat Hamas.

Netanyahu Defends Gaza Offensive Amid Global Pressure

JERUSALEM AP. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday defended a new military offensive in one of Gaza's most populated areas amid growing condemnation at home and abroad, declaring that Israel 'has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas.' He spoke to foreign media moments before an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Gaza. Netanyahu said he has directed Israel's military to 'bring in more foreign journalists', a move that would mark a departure from the past 22 months of war, when access has been tightly controlled. 'Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, our goal is to free Gaza,' he asserted. He pushed back against what he called a 'global campaign of lies' and said Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz had 'buckled under' by delaying arms exports that could be used in Gaza until further notice.

Netanyahu frames the operation as a strategic milestone, yet the language reveals a careful balance between security aims and political messaging. The pledge to 'free Gaza' sits alongside a plan for a short timetable and a demand for non Israeli civilian administration in Gaza, which signals a long term, disputed political project. The opposition between defeating Hamas and protecting civilians underscores a broader dilemma: how to reconcile military aims with urgent humanitarian needs and international scrutiny. The domestic pressure from families of hostages and rising casualties adds another layer, showing that security decisions are judged not only on battlefield outcomes but on their impact on lives across Gaza and in Israel.

Highlights

The next moves will reveal whether security goals can be pursued without deepening humanitarian crises.