Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu estimated this evening (Thursday), in an interview with Channel 14, that residents of the north will gradually return to their homes - after they realize that the calm on the border is stable and the ceasefire agreement is being enforced.
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""The threat in the north has been removed. We will work to convince not only our enemies, but also our residents. They will gradually return when they feel it is right," Netanyahu said.
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He also noted that since the assassination of Yahya Sinwar and the severing of the borders between Gaza and Lebanon, the conditions for the deal to release the hostages have changed. "I think the conditions have changed a lot for the better, not only because of the severing of the borders but also because of the combination of things with the assassination of Sinwar.
""Hamas hoped that Iran would come to save it, it didn't happen, it hoped that the Houthis would come to save it – it didn't happen. But above all, it hoped that Hezbollah would come to save it, and indeed Nasrallah said on the second day when he attacked, 'We will continue until Israel stops its attacks on Hamas.'".
During the interview, Netanyahu took responsibility for the successful pager operation in Lebanon and Syria.
""I thought that the 'Lichtenstein operation' was a 'strategic opening' of what the Americans call a 'massive shock,'" the prime minister said. "Some thought otherwise, and I changed my mind. Then I thought that the right thing to do, in addition to eliminating the various leaders, was to eliminate the bulk of Hezbollah's and Hamas' rocket and missile stockpile.".
Netanyahu continued: “I instructed the IDF to concentrate on this, but Nasrallah thought he had immunity because a large part of this stockpile was in civilian homes. Within 48 hours, they came up with an extraordinary plan.”.
Netanyahu added that his position in conducting the war was to end Gaza and then move to Lebanon. "In conducting the war, I opposed opening two theaters at the same time. I said first of all, we are eliminating Hamas and we are getting closer to completing this mission," he said, "This is what will be done to those who massacre Jews in the worst massacre since the Holocaust. First of all, we will deal with them and in the north, active defense.".
Netanyahu made it clear that he would agree to a ceasefire in Gaza but not to an end to the war.
Prime Minister: “We have two different goals. In the north, we prevent armaments – what is the Philadelphia axis of the north? The Syria-Lebanon border. So what are we doing? We bomb the border crossings. And in Syria, I said to Assad: ‘You are playing with fire.'.
“Time will tell if he received this message,” Netanyahu added, emphasizing: “In the south, what do they want me to do? Bomb Egypt? We have a peace agreement with Egypt. I will not let the entity in Gaza rearm, and therefore the goal in the north is different from the goal in the south, and the conditions are different in the north compared to the south. But the answer is clear: I am ready for a ceasefire in the south, where we think we can achieve the release of the hostages.”.
