Intense phase of Israel's war with Hamas about to end, Netanyahu says
The "intensive" phase of Israel's offensive in Gaza will soon end, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday — but he signaled he would only accept a "partial" cease-fire deal that would not end the war, and that this new phase would allow a shift in focus to the simmering conflict on the country's northern border with Lebanon.
The "intensive" phase of Israel's offensive in Gaza will soon end, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday — but he signaled he would only accept a "partial" cease-fire deal that would not end the war, and that this new phase would allow a shift in focus to the simmering conflict on the country's northern border with Lebanon.
Netanyahu's comments appeared to back further away from a United States-supported truce deal with Hamas, setting the stage for his latest clash with the Biden administration and with the families of hostages still held in Gaza. They also fueled new international concern about escalation with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah that could ignite a broader regional conflict.
Speaking with Channel 14 on Sunday, in what appeared to be his first major interview with an Israeli media outlet since Oct. 7, Netanyahu said that the current phase of fighting was set to wind down.
"The intensive phase of the war against Hamas is about to end. It doesn't mean that the war is about to end but its intensive phase is about to end in Rafah," he said, referring to the city once deemed a safe zone in the south of the Palestinian enclave.
"We will continue afterward to mow the lawn, we will not give up on that," Netanyahu said, speaking in Hebrew.
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