US President Biden had criticized Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip – now Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted. He sees an “overwhelming majority” behind his policies. He is skeptical about negotiations for a ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Joe Biden’s allegations of Israel’s harsh military crackdown in the Gaza Strip. In an interview for Bild, Welt TV and Politico in Jerusalem, he said: “If the US President means that I am pursuing a private policy against the wishes of the majority of Israelis and that this harms Israel’s interests, then he is wrong on both counts. “
In an interview with the US broadcaster MSNBC on Saturday, Biden said of Netanyahu: “He harms Israel more than he helps Israel.” The Israeli head of government has the right to defend Israel and to continue fighting the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But he must “pay greater attention to innocent lives,” said the US President, considering the high number of civilian casualties caused by the war in the coastal strip.
“They support the measures”
Netanyahu said in the interview that his policies are supported by an “overwhelming majority” of Israelis. “They support the measures we are taking to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions.” The head of government was referring to a planned ground offensive in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The USA criticizes the project because 1.5 million people are crowded together in a very small space, most of whom have fled from other parts of the coastal strip. These people would have to be brought to safety before an offensive. For him, this represents a “red line,” Biden said. He will not allow another 30,000 Palestinians to die as a result of the action against Hamas.
Netanyahu blames Hamas
According to the health authority controlled by the militant Islamist Hamas, the number of Palestinians killed in the war rose to more than 31,000 on Sunday. The information makes no distinction between civilians and armed terrorists. The vast majority of victims are women, minors and older men, according to the authority.
According to Netanyahu, the number of civilians killed is far lower than the approximately 31,000 people. Every civilian casualty is a tragedy, he said. Israel is doing everything to prevent that. He blamed Hamas for the deaths of Palestinian civilians. The Israeli army would be dealing with an enemy that is “doing everything in its power to put civilians in danger, while we are doing everything in our power to get civilians out of harm’s way.”
Scholz calls for a ceasefire
Netanyahu was skeptical about the negotiations for a new ceasefire and the release of hostages. During the negotiating rounds, “they come away with nothing,” he said of Hamas. The Palestinian Organization apparently has no interest in an agreement at the moment. Instead, she wants to “regroup, retake the Gaza Strip and start all over again.”
Meanwhile, Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated hopes for a longer-lasting ceasefire. “It’s best to do it during Ramadan,” said the SPD politician in a video message. “Such a ceasefire should ensure that the Israeli hostages are finally released and that more humanitarian aid finally arrives in Gaza,” emphasized Scholz. He is sure that the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians want peace.
For devout Muslims, a week-long period of fasting begins this week on the first day of Ramadan. However, the month of fasting is overshadowed by developments in the Gaza Strip.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by the Palestinian and Israeli conflict parties cannot be directly verified by an independent body.
Marei Beermann, NDR, tagesschau, March 10, 2024 10:12 p.m