Hamas terrorists "realize very well the destruction they have brought upon themselves," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday, speaking at his first press conference since the start of "Operation Gideon's Chariots" against the terror organization in Gaza.
"Gideon's Chariots is there in order to complete this war," he said, noting "huge blows" against Hamas in recent days, including the "probable" death of de facto Hamas leader in Gaza, Mohammed Sinwar.
Southern Israeli cities like Sderot are now shaking "not because of Hamas missiles but the magnitude of IDF fire," the premier charged, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Noting the deaths of two Israeli soldiers in Gaza this week, the prime minister said that "this war is making us pay heavy prices. However, it does have justified and clear goals," including returning the hostages, fully defeating Hamas and neutralizing the Strip as a security threat.
He also said Jerusalem would carry out President Donald Trump's plan, which calls for the relocation of most of Gaza's residents to third countries and rebuilding the Strip as a "Riviera of the Middle East."
"These goals are intertwined, and we are committed to achieving them completely and fully," Netanyahu vowed in his remarks. "Gaza will be under Israeli security control, and Hamas will be defeated."
The premier said that he was prepared to agree to a temporary truce to release all remaining 58 hostages from Hamas captivity after 593 days. Jerusalem is also "willing to end the war, but there should be clear conditions to ensure Israel's security," according to Netanyahu.
Netanyahu defended his government's decision to allow some aid to enter Gaza without receiving hostages in return, saying the move followed warnings by some of the Jewish state's biggest allies.
"Hamas is taking much of the aid for itself, and the rest it's selling at exaggerated prices to fund its terrorists," he said. "In order to prevent this, we have developed a new plan, together with the United States."
The three-phase plan will bring in trucks with basic supplies, followed by the creation of distribution points secured by U.S. private military contractors, as well as "sterile zones" where Gazans will "receive all humanitarian aid they need," the prime minister explained.
Turning to the other fronts of the ongoing seven-front war involving Iran's proxies across the Middle East, Netanyahu said Jerusalem has "yet to say final word on the Houthis" terrorists in Yemen, which have again increased their aerial assaults on the Jewish state in recent days.
In Southern Lebanon, the IDF continues to enforce the formally expired ceasefire deal that largely stopped Hezbollah terrorism against northern Israeli communities, he stressed, noting the army's actions against the Iranian-backed terror army "have led to the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria" in December.
"Iran remains a significant threat to Israel," he said, emphasizing that Jerusalem continues to work with the Trump administration to put a halt to the Islamic Republic's attempts to acquire a nuclear weapon.
"At any rate, the State of Israel keeps the right to protect itself from the regime that seeks to destroy it," warned Netanyahu.
'Taking control of strategic areas'
On Sunday, the IDF announced the official start of the ground phase of the expanded military operation to defeat Hamas fully.
"Over the past 24 hours, forces of the IDF's Southern Command, both regular and reserve, have started a large-scale ground operation across the northern and southern Gaza Strip as part of the beginning of Operation Gideon's Chariots," the army said in a statement.
"So far, the forces have eliminated dozens of terrorists, destroyed terrorist infrastructure both above and below ground, and are now taking control of strategic areas within the Strip," the IDF continued.
The military noted that over the week prior, the Air Force had attacked more than 670 Hamas targets across the enclave in an attempt to "disrupt enemy preparations and support the ground operation."
Among the targets hit were weapons depots, terrorist operatives, tunnels and anti-tank launch positions, it said.
"The IDF will continue to operate against terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip as necessary to protect the citizens of the State of Israel," it added.
Republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate