Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Egypt’s Khalil el-Sisi just need to be left alone and they will ultimately deal with Hamas and The Muslim Brotherhood. The U.S. and EU just need to butt out. [And we are genuinely serious when we say that.] Just let those two guys handle the radical islamists….
ISRAEL – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t mince words in a phone call with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro on Friday.
Netanyahu reportedly warned Shapiro that President Barack Obama and his administration was “not to ever second-guess me again,” according to sources that spoke on condition of anonymity with The Associated Press.
The phone call came hours after a proposed cease-fire in Gaza quickly crumbled, with one Israeli soldier taken hostage and two more killed during an attack. While the Obama administration did not blame the abduction on Hamas, officials did say they hold the group responsible for events occurring in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu told Shapiro he “expected” the U.S., along with the U.N. and other international groups, to help him moving forward with a “strong and swift response,” because he knows best how to handle Hamas. (read more)
Netanyahu speaks to Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday to use as much military power as need and fight “as long as it will take” against terror group Hamas to restore peace in his country.
In a TV speech in Jerusalem that appeared in part directed at Israelis beleaguered by the fighting’s destruction and death toll, Netanyahu gave no indication of moving toward a cease-fire with Hamas, the Islamic militant group.
Netanyahu promised to “bring back the quiet” and use “as much power as needed.” He said the timeframe is only “as long as it will take.”
The 26 days of fighting were sparked by the killing in June of three Israeli teens apparently at the hands of Hamas-backed Palestinians, which resulted in the killing of three Arab Palestinians teens. Hamas then fired rockets into Israel from Gaza, which prompted Israel to respond with land, sea and air attacks.
On Saturday, Netanyahu also warned Hamas that it will “pay an intolerable price” for continuing to fire rockets at Israel. And he suggested that the Israeli military will reassess its Gaza operation once troops complete the demolition of Hamas’ military tunnels under the Gaza-Israel border.
Netanyahu also praised the efforts of Israeli fighters, calling them “heroes” and expressing sorrow for the families of the innocent victims of the fighting.
He said he has spoken with the family of Israeli Army 2nd. Lt. Hadar Goldin, amid accusations Hamas militants on Friday, just hours into 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire, captured him and killed two fellow soldiers.
The soldiers were reportedly trying to destroy one of the tunnels when somebody emerged and detonated a suicide bomb.
Earlier Saturday, Israeli Cabinet minister Yuval Steinitz said Israel won’t send a delegation to proposed truce talks in Cairo, Egypt.
He alleged that Hamas has violated previous cease-fire deals, which “leads us to the conclusion that with this organization there is no point speaking” about any deal.
An Israeli official told The Associated Press that troops will remain in Gaza to wrap up the tunnel demolition but the effort is not expected to take “much more time.”
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to discuss internal government deliberations with reporters.
Israeli media reported that 31 tunnels have already been demolished and that the mission was close to being complete. (read more)
