Netanyahu's statement on Iran: I am determined to prevent it

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a pre-recorded message.

Making statements regarding the attacks in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu said, "If we bow to Hamas's dictates now, all the great gains of the war that we achieved thanks to our soldiers, our dead, and our wounded will be wiped out. As your Prime Minister, I will not bow down. Such a surrender would endanger the country and all of you."

"WE WILL NOT END THE WAR WITHOUT RECOVERING ALL OUR HOSTAGES"

Criticizing calls for a ceasefire and labeling them as "calls for surrender," Netanyahu said, "If we had listened to these calls, we would not have been able to enter Rafah, take control of the Philadelphi Corridor, carry out the attack against Hezbollah, neutralize Hamas leaders, or create the environment necessary for the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, and we could not have dealt a heavy blow to Iran. Israel would still be living under an existential threat."

Stating that Hamas demands Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza and the evacuation of the Philadelphi Corridor and the security zone established by Israel, Netanyahu said, "We will not end the war of rebirth without destroying Hamas in Gaza, recovering all our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel."

"IT WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE"

Responding to claims that Israel would return to war after recovering all the hostages, Netanyahu said, "Hamas is not stupid. They are demanding binding international guarantees that do not allow for the illusion of deception. These people have no idea how the international system works. Neither the US, nor China, nor Russia, nor other countries in the UN Security Council will cooperate with this fraud. This would make returning to war impossible, and we would have no legitimacy to do so."

STATEMENT ON IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Making statements regarding Iran, Netanyahu said, "I am determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. I will never compromise on this, I will not back down, and I will not show even the slightest retreat. It is truly amusing to listen to the criticisms now leveled by those who opposed the steps I took in the past to damage and delay Iran's nuclear program. If those steps had not been taken, Iran would have possessed nuclear weapons 10 years ago."