Netanyahu to Biden: Israel Will “Fight Until Total Victory” In Gaza, Including Capture of Rafah
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Those who want us to desist from the Rafah operation … are telling us we should lose.”
Despite growing pressure from President Joe Biden on Israel to suspend the planned military operation against the last remaining terrorist stronghold of Rahaf, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday vowed to pursue complete victory over Hamas in Gaza, including the capture of the southernmost terrorist bastion.
In a apparent reference to President Biden, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that “Those who want us to desist from the Rafah operation … are telling us we should lose.”
“We won’t be dictated to,” Netanyahu declared at a press conference on Saturday evening.
The Jerusalem Post reported Prime Minister’s remarks:
An IDF military operation in Rafah is necessary to defeat Hamas irrespective of any hostage deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as he pushed back against massive international pressure to hold off from such a move.
“There is no substitute for total victory and there is no other way to do it than eliminating the [Hamas] battalions in Rafah,” he said, adding, “We will do it.”
“Everyone wants an additional deal for a [hostage] deal,” Netanyahu said, adding “I want one as well. It’s good if we achieve that, but even if we achieve it [a deal], we [the IDF] will enter Rafah.”
The statement comes after President Biden on Friday told reporters that he ‘expected’ Israel to halt military plans to take the Rafah terrorist stronghold. “President Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a temporary halt to Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas militants and postpone a planned offensive in the enclave’s southernmost city,” The Wall Street Journal reported Friday
“Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Biden said he expected Netanyahu to hold off on sending Israeli troops into Rafah, the Gaza city along the Egypt border,” the WSJ added.
PM @netanyahu: I told President Biden that we would fight until total victory was achieved, and yes – this also includes fighting in Rafah. https://t.co/eSuYpHx8rg
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) February 17, 2024
Israel’s war cabinet minister Benny Gantz on Friday urged Hamas to free the around 130 hostages languishing in captivity for more than four month or face a military offensive against Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza on Egyptian border.
“There will be peace when our goals are achieved. It can continue even in the month of Ramadan,” the war cabinet member assured. “Either the hostages will be returned, or we will extend the fighting to Rafah.”
The Israel warnings coincides with Hamas’s decision to suspended hostage negotiations, news reports on Saturday evening suggest. “Hamas has suspended all Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations until humanitarian aid is brought into the northern part of the Strip,” the Jerusalem Post reported citing Arab news outlets.
The Israeli broadcaster Arutz Sheva reported war cabinet minister’s comments:
Minister Benny Gantz addressed Hamas on the background of the continued fighting and the looming prospects of the IDF invading Rafah.
“A moment before Shabbat, I would like to address all citizens of Israel and the families of the hostages. We will not stop until we bring them back, no matter how, as we proved this week. There will be no ceasefire for even a day until our hostages are returned. In any case, the war will continue until its goals have been achieved.”
He then specifically addressed Hamas: “It is important that all Hamas terrorists know that there will be no safe havens for them either above or below ground. The fighting can continue even during the approaching month of Ramadan.”
“Either return our hostages or we will expand the fighting to Rafah. We are prepared for this, and will work in coordination with our partners, including Egypt, to evacuate the civilian population to safe areas. Then we will take action.”
The Israeli Army has now taken the last Hamas pockets in the city of Khan Yunis.
The IDF has also started making some first small initial moves along border with Egypt ahead of its push toward the city of Rafah
Via @War_Mapper pic.twitter.com/NVKhhT7jFi
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 17, 2024
Meanwhile, the Israeli soldiers are busy eliminating Hamas terrorist fighting force in southern Gaza stronghold of Khan Yunis, clearing the rear ahead of a possible storming of Rafah.
“IDF troops continue to operate against terror targets in the area of Khan Yunis,” the Israeli military said in a press release on Saturday. “IDF troops conducted targeted raids on numerous terrorist targets where they located weapons including grenades, explosive devices, and AK-47 rifles.”
The IDF is also preparing a detailed plan for the capture of Rafah, which will include the relocation of Palestinians out of the combat zone to other parts of Gaza, Israel media reports suggest.
The Times of Israel reported Friday:
Channel 12 says in an unsourced report that the IDF will next week present the political echelon a detailed plan for entering Rafah.
The plan apparently provides for relocating citizens to other parts of south and central Gaza, but not to the north of the strip, the network says.
It also says Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz believe that if there is no hostage deal reached by Ramadan, which begins around March 10, the IDF should go into Rafah.
"We would not need to go to Rafah if Hamas would just let [the hostages] go." IDF spokesperson Peter Lerner speaks to CNN – https://t.co/P2v07fXAG8#hamas #Gaza #terrorism pic.twitter.com/CpDBFl8PNb
— AIJAC (@AIJAC_Update) February 17, 2024
NYT: Israel behind strikes on Iranian gas pipelines
Four month after Iranian-trained Palestinian terrorists killed more than 1200 Israelis in coordinated mass-murder, Israel has struck Iran’s main gas pipelines, The New York Times claimed on Friday quoting Iranian officials and operative of the country’s Islamic Guard (IRGC) terrorist group.
Israel is believed to have targeted wanted terrorists on Iranian soil and regime’s rogue nuclear weapons program, but this is the first major attack on Iran’s oil infrastructure — Tehran’s main source of funding terrorism across the world, the newspaper noted.
The NYT reports:
Israel carried out covert attacks on two major natural gas pipelines inside Iran this week, disrupting the flow of heat and cooking gas to provinces with millions of people, according to two Western officials and a military strategist affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The strikes represent a notable shift in the shadow war that Israel and Iran have been waging by air, land, sea and cyberattack for years.
Israel has long targeted military and nuclear sites inside Iran — and assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists and commanders, both inside and outside of the country. Israel has also waged cyberattacks to disable servers belonging to the oil ministry, causing turmoil at gas stations nationwide. (…)
The Western officials and the Iranian military strategist said the gas pipeline attacks by Israel required deep knowledge of Iran’s infrastructure and careful coordination, especially since two pipelines were hit in multiple locations at the same time.
Israel: 30 UNRWA staffers, including teachers linked to October 7 massacre
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday released more evidence showing that 12 UNRWA employees took active part and 30 others assisted in Hamas’s October 7 massacres of Israelis.
UNRWA, the United Nation’s Palestinian aid agency, has a long track record of colluding with Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups. Last week, the IDF uncovered Hamas’s underground terrorist commander center and server farm right beneath the UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters.
The Times of Israel reported:
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday publicly revealed the identities of 12 UNRWA staff members who Israel says “actively participated” in the Hamas-led October 7 onslaught on southern Israel. (…)
Among the staff who took part in the attacks are teachers who worked at UNRWA schools.
“In addition to these 12 workers, we have significant indications based on intelligence, that over 30 UNRWA workers participated in the massacre, facilitated the taking of hostages, looted and stole from Israeli communities, and more,” Gallant said in a briefing with foreign press.
Gallant said that UNRWA has “lost legitimacy and can no longer function as a UN body,” and said he has therefore instructed the IDF and defense establishment to transfer responsibilities of aid delivery in the Strip to other humanitarian organizations.
Meet Faisal Ali Mussalem Al Naami (in black). He’s a social worker for @UNRWA by profession. On October 7, he took a road trip into Beeri with a friend.
I wonder if abduction of Israelis comes in the job description of an @UNRWA social worker?
Damning evidence exposed by the… pic.twitter.com/Tbbw5NenqB— Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) February 17, 2024
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This Hamas massacre and the IDF response has drawn a wedge in the Democratic coalition
https://twitter.com/ariel_koko/status/1758271052642447617
Bah, commercial fertilizer. More of the left’s Astroturf instead of true dedication.
I was startled. I turned toward the voice that was speaking. It was Biden. He vowed to pursue complete victory over the illegals invading our country including the removal of the ones who are already here. “I will not be dicated to”, he said. “I will make this a safe country for our children and grandchildren.”
Then I woke up.
But the parallels fail, as such a dream borders on the inconceivable. Unlike the Hamas problem, the illegals problem exists only because of deliberate incitement by Biden his very self.
I can explain. Last night I accidently took my Balance of Nature instead of Relaxium Sleep. I felt very stong and healthy all night but didn’t get much sleep. As a result my dream cycle entered the spin cycle and my dreams bordered on the inconceivable.
The notion that, in an existential battle against sadistic and genocidal Muslim terrorists, fanatics and Islamofascists, Israel allegedly needs crime boss, Biden’s, and, the U.S.’s permission to pursue and defeat these evil bastards, represents the most offensive, feckless and indefensible dhimmitude.
Lots of the rest of the world suffers from the same illusion, F all of them. It is time to tell them to show their convictions by accepting Pale refugees. They should do their fair share. Maybe start sending them around the world, much like busing illegals in America. In international waters, drop them off with free inflatables, tents and a bit of other supplies. The first drops should be South Africa 🙂
I like your South Africa plan.
This is practically election interference — telling Slow Joe to sit down and shut up. And it’s about time some global leader did so. I’m glad it was him.
He’s one of the few with the guts to do so.
TY Mr. Grizzly… I admired him.. and kinda felt sad…
Great to hear that Israel is striking their petroleum infrastructure, now hit their hydro dams. Iran has been behind so many murders, their fangs should be pulled.
Vile Biden’s and the Dhimmi-crats’ posture in placing hindering restraints upon Israel would be indefensible, even if all hostages had been released. As things stand, they represent evil and stupid appeasement of Islamofascism and terrorism.
Hamas must be destroyed under all scenarios. That’s what you do to goose-stepping, genocidal Muslim fanatics.
I guess in Biden’s opinion, the allies in WWII didn’t need to take Berlin. After all, that would cause many unnecessary deaths. They could just get Hitler and his cronies to promise to play nice in the future.
So, how does one say, “FU and your pudding cup, Joey” in Hebrew?
משכב אתה ג’ו
It must be nice to have a strong leader who actually cares about their country.
I thought it was interesting that Netanyahu’s primary political antagonist Benny Gantz, put out an almost identical statement on Thursday night or Friday morning. Obviously, the usual suspects in the US are trying to ratchet up the heat on Netanyahu. Gantz’ statement seemed to indicate that he isn’t part of it and doesn’t want any part of it (for now), instead united in their common goal of the return of all the hostages and the elimination of the Hamas threat.
Gantz’ used the words, ‘there can be no ceasefire until….,’ which is clearly not what the Biden Administration has in mind.
I should have made it more clear in my comment that Gantz’ statement was nearly identical to Netanyahu’s. There is no daylight between them on the issue of a ceasefire: No, is their unified response.
Humanitarian aid? Oh really?, I don’t think so since you people aren’t human. Surrender and blow yourselves up.
Gantz is seen as partly responsible for the attack. He would be wise not to steer into that perception with a weak stance against murdering terrorists with hostages.
It would be nice if Israel took out Iran’s oil production. It would cut off their revenue to conduct terrorist funding and nuclear weapons programs.
If I were a UNRWA worker who assited the terrorists on October 7, I would be very worried right now.
Is there any doubt that Traitor Joe wants Hamas to win?
Dhimmi-crats are predictably gonna dhimmi; as sure as the day is long.
Overnight, the cabinet of the Israeli unity government issued a unanimous declaration:
“Israel categorically rejects international diktats around a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. A settlement, if it is achieved, will come about only through direct negotiations between the sides, with no preconditions. Israel will continue to oppose a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state…such a move would be a massive, unprecedented prize for terror that would prevent any future peace deal.’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/cabinet-unanimously-okays-declaration-rejecting-unilateral-recognition-of-palestinian-state/
Biden to Nets
omar is taking over americas politics
you’d better come up with another plan
israel only wants to stop the violence
the blmplohamas want the violence to stop Israel
hopeful near future headlines:
Anti hamas sentiment grows in eqypt south africa qatar and other arab countries as hamas citizens pour in over their borders
probably near future headlines:
omar welcomes in thousands of hamas citizens to the usa and resettles them in red states
The parallel with anti-semite Wilson and Biden are eerie.
Except Wilson didnt have a blmarxist president running his shadow third term..
US envoy: Israel will be grateful for ‘nudge’ to ‘adhere to moral compass we share’
US envoy: Israel will be grateful for ‘nudge’ to ‘adhere to moral compas…
Menachem Wecker
Jack Lew, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, also suggested that Washington was to thank for the rescue of two hosta…
Lew is grossly ignornat of history-Lincoln did not feed the South during the Civil War Wilson did not feed the Germans during WW1, FDR did not feed the Germans and Japanese during W2, Truman did not feef the N Koreans during the Korean War LBJ did not feed the North Vietnamese or the Viet Cong in Vietnam . I don’t think that either Bush fed Iraq or Obama or Trump fed ISIS.
No American envoy should be lecturing the Israelis about how to fight a awar.
As far as I am concerned, if the hostages are not released now, Rafah should be levelled-let them feel how we felt on Simchas Torah