Netanyahu says no to urging for Palestinian state
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected U.S. calls to scale back Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip or take steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state after the war, drawing an immediate scolding from the White House.
“We obviously see it differently,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
Netanyahu spoke a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel would never have “genuine security” without a pathway toward Palestinian independence. Earlier in the week, the White House announced that it was the “right time” for Israel to lower the intensity of its military offensive in Gaza.
In a nationally televised news conference, Netanyahu struck a defiant tone, saying that Israel would not halt its offensive until it realizes its goals of destroying Gaza’s Hamas terrorist group and bringing home all remaining hostages held by Hamas.
He rejected claims by a chorus of Israeli critics that those goals are not achievable, vowing to press ahead for many months. “We will not settle for anything short of an absolute victory,” Netanyahu said.
Israel launched the offensive after an unprecedented cross-border terrorist attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people and took some 250 others hostage. Roughly 130 hostages are believed by Israel to remain in Hamas terrorist captivity. The war has stoked tensions across the region, threatening to ignite other conflicts.
Israel’s assault has killed nearly 25,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.
On Thursday, the Israeli army said it had destroyed “the heart” of Hamas’ weapons manufacturing industry near a major road in central Gaza.