Netanayhu says killing Hamas leaders is route to ending Gaza war

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said eliminating Hamas leaders would extremity the warfare successful Gaza, arsenic apical US diplomat Marco Rubio said hours up of his sojourn to Israel that its onslaught against Hamas successful Qatar would not derail their alliance.

“The Hamas terrorists chiefs surviving successful Qatar don’t attraction astir the radical successful Gaza. They blocked each ceasefire attempts successful bid to endlessly resistance retired the war,” Netanyahu said connected X.

“Getting escaped of them would escaped the main obstacle to releasing each our hostages and ending the war.”

His comments came soon aft Rubio told reporters that portion President Donald Trump was “not happy” astir the Qatar strike, their confederation would beryllium unaffected.

“It’s not going to alteration the quality of our narration with the Israelis, but we are going to person to speech astir it — primarily, what interaction does this have” connected the diplomatic efforts to bring astir a truce successful Gaza, Rubio added.

The speech of a ceasefire, inactive retired of scope aft months of failed negotiations, came with Israel intensifying its run successful the Gaza Strip.

In caller days it has ramped up efforts to prehend power of Gaza City, the territory’s largest municipality area, telling residents to evacuate and blowing up galore high-rise buildings it said were being utilized by Hamas.

While thousands of radical person evacuated the city, according to the Israeli subject and Hamas, galore much remain.

As of precocious August, the UN estimated that astir 1 cardinal radical were surviving successful the metropolis and its surrounding areas, wherever it has declared a famine it blamed connected Israeli assistance restrictions.

Bakri Diab, who fled occidental Gaza City for the south, said Israeli strikes continued determination arsenic well.

“Bombing happens present excessively — the southbound isn’t harmless either,” said the 35-year-old begetter of four.

“All the concern has done is unit radical to assemblage into places with nary basal services and nary safety.”

Gaza’s civilian defence bureau said 32 radical had been killed by Israeli occurrence connected Saturday.

Media restrictions successful Gaza and difficulties successful accessing galore areas mean AFP is incapable to independently verify the details provided by the civilian defence bureau oregon the Israeli military.

– ‘One obstacle’ –

Netanyahu and his authorities person defied planetary disapproval passim the astir two-year war, but it continued to equine this week.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly voted to backmost a revival of the two-state solution, successful unfastened defiance of Israeli opposition.

Israeli allies Britain and France, alongside respective different Western nations, are acceptable to recognise Palestinian statehood astatine a UN gathering this period retired of exasperation astatine Israel’s behaviour of the Gaza warfare and successful the occupied West Bank.

London and Paris, joined by Berlin, besides called for an contiguous halt to Israel’s violative successful Gaza City.

Nevertheless, Israel retains the backing of its astir almighty state and biggest arms supplier, the United States.

Ahead of Rubio’s visit, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the diplomatic main would amusement “our committedness to combat anti-Israel actions including unilateral designation of a Palestinian authorities that rewards Hamas terrorism”.

“He volition besides emphasise our shared goals: ensuring Hamas ne'er rules implicit Gaza again and bringing each the hostages home.”

At home, opponents of the Netanyahu authorities person sought to enactment unit connected ministers to extremity the warfare successful instrumentality for the merchandise of Israeli hostages held successful Gaza.

On Saturday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main run group, accused the Israeli premier of being the “one obstacle” to freeing the hostages and accused him of repeatedly sabotaging ceasefire efforts.

Of the 251 radical taken hostage by Palestinian militants successful October 2023, 47 stay successful Gaza, including 25 the subject says are dead.

– ‘Alarming passivity’ –

Brian Katulis, a elder chap astatine the Middle East Institute, said Rubio was improbable to propulsion Israel tow...