Netanyahu: I Hid the Plan to Kill Nasrallah from the Americans

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an interview with Channel 14 on Thursday, December 8, that he executed the plan to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah without informing his opponents or the Americans. He explained that opponents of the assassination had warned the security cabinet that this could lead to an all-out war with the Islamic Republic, and that the United States should be informed before any attack, a condition he rejected. Netanyahu added, 'Upon hearing the objections, I halted the cabinet meeting at that stage and said I wanted to think about the war issue and we would discuss the assassination of Nasrallah later. With this statement, some people breathed a sigh of relief because they thought that over time, Nasrallah would disappear or seek refuge elsewhere.' He further clarified, 'On the flight to New York in September, before my speech at the United Nations, I decided to eliminate Nasrallah. I boarded the plane, slept for two hours, then picked up the phone and contacted the Defense Minister and Chief of Staff, saying: I have decided. We will pursue him. We will take all risks because this risk is worth it.' After landing in New York, he confirmed his decision with officials, stating that the Americans could be informed, but only when our fighter jets were en route to eliminate the Hamas leader. Netanyahu also dismissed claims that his trip to the UN was a ruse to deceive Nasrallah and reduce his readiness. Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday, September 28, 2023, during an Israeli airstrike in the 'Dahiyeh' area, southern Beirut. Nasrallah had led Hezbollah for 32 years, taking over after the assassination of Abbas Moussaoui in February 1992. Israel and Hezbollah accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Israel announced the destruction of a Hezbollah missile warehouse; this was the first attack after the ceasefire. Netanyahu announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel conducted extensive attacks on Hezbollah positions in Beirut ahead of the ceasefire agreement. Gideon Sa'ar stated that for a ceasefire to be established, Hezbollah must withdraw from southern Lebanon. Israel targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut with airstrikes.