Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has in recent days gone on a US media blitz, at a moment American public opinion has become increasingly divided on Israel’s military action in Gaza and the soaring civilian death toll.
But in a new interview with CBS, he made a surprising admission – surprising especially given the current scrutiny on him after international institutions, including a panel of UN experts – have accused Israel of conducting “genocide” and “war crimes”. Netanyahu acknowledged to CBS that Israel has not been successful in minimizing civilian casualties among civilians.
He ultimately blamed Hamas for this while vowing the Israeli military would “try to finish the job” of eradicating the Islamist terror group.
But he emphasized in surprisingly blunt words: “That’s what we’re trying to do: minimal civilian casualties. But unfortunately, we’re not successful.”
He presented the context as one where Hamas was preventing civilians from leaving northern Gaza “at gun point”. He claimed that Hamas “fired at the safe corridors that we provided for the Palestinians.”
Israel has dropped hundreds of thousands of leaflets over Gaza in the past weeks, warning civilians to exit…
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