Netanyahu: War with Hamas is 'Going Better than Expected'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the war between Israel and Hamas is 'going better than expected.' He made this assessment in an interview with the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal. He said, 'It took America and its allies nine months to defeat radical forces in Mosul.' Netanyahu referred to the battles against ISIS in 2016 and 2017. He noted that 'Mosul is smaller than Gaza and did not have large underground terrorist infrastructures. We are now in the fourth month of our military operation, but we have had difficult days.' Many have criticized Israel's operations, pointing to the widespread destruction in Gaza and the high death toll in the Palestinian territory. Israel's assault on Gaza began after a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and took around 240 hostages. The U.S. has urged Israel to conduct its military operations 'more selectively' to minimize civilian casualties. According to Hamas's health ministry in Gaza, the number of Palestinians killed has risen to over 26,000. Israel claims that Hamas uses civilians as 'human shields.' In the interview, Netanyahu also thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for his 'support' for Israel, noting that Biden called Hamas 'worse than ISIS' and sent two aircraft carriers to the region, providing Israel with munitions. He stated that he agrees with the U.S. President on the need to destroy Hamas, but this does not mean there are no differences of opinion. Netanyahu also spoke about Iran, stating that Israel has been 'continuously taking actions to thwart the nuclear ambitions of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have delayed their nuclear program for years, perhaps a decade, but we have not stopped them.' He warned that 'if they acquire nuclear weapons' it would be 'catastrophic.' Netanyahu remarked, 'Look at what they do without nuclear weapons. They have blocked international maritime routes with their Houthis, toppled governments across the Middle East, and they are the main state sponsor of terrorism worldwide, and they and their proxies have repeatedly attacked American targets.' In this interview, Netanyahu described the Islamic Republic of Iran as more dangerous than North Korea, stating that the Iranian regime promotes 'radical Islam' and chants 'Death to America,' and that the U.S. would not want 'such a regime to threaten it with ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads.' He also expressed concern over Russia's cooperation with Iran. Netanyahu mentioned that he has been working with 'strong military actions' to prevent the establishment of a second base like Hezbollah in Syria. He told Americans that Israel's war is America's war and described the fight against Hamas as part of a broader war against the 'anti-American terrorist axis led by Iran,' asserting that if 'Iran acquires nuclear weapons,' all Americans will become 'hostages to an ideological enemy' that harbors 'relentless hatred' for the U.S. Leaders of the Islamic Republic, especially Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly spoken against America in their speeches, and the militias under the Islamic Republic have also attacked U.S. positions in the Middle East multiple times. A British warship destroyed an attacking drone of the Houthis supported by the Islamic Republic.