Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a US threat to withhold some weapons would not stop Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it could proceed with an invasion of the crowded Rafah city against the wishes of its closest ally.
President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to go ahead with such an operation for fear of exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. On Wednesday (Thursday AEST), he said the US would not provide offensive weapons for a Rafah offensive, increasing pressure on Netanyahu.
Benjamin Netanyahu at a wreath-laying ceremony commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in Jerusalem on Monday.Credit: AP
But in a statement released on Thursday, Netanyahu said: “if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our nails. But we have much more than nails.”
Israel's top military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, also appeared to downplay the practical impact of any weapons theft. “The army has ammunition for the missions it plans, and also for the missions in Rafah: we have what we need,” he said in response to a question at a press conference.
Israel's top military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, also appeared to downplay the practical impact of any weapons theft.
“The army has ammunition for the missions it plans, and also for the missions in Rafah: we have what we need,” he said in response to a question at a press conference.
Here's the full story, from AP.
