Netanyahu: We will conquer Gaza regardless of whether Hamas releases hostages or not

(Patria) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued his attacks on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an interview aired today, condemning Canberra for "giving in" to terrorist groups and their supporters in the West.

Netanyahu vowed to carry out plans to militarily capture all of Gaza even if Hamas agrees to a ceasefire and a hostage release deal, writes Times of Israel.

- I am sure he has a distinguished public service career, but I think his reputation is forever tarnished by the weakness he has shown in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters - Netanyahu said of Albanese in an interview with Sky News Australia.

- When the worst terrorist organization in the world, these savages who killed women, raped them, beheaded men... when these people congratulate the Prime Minister of Australia, you know something is wrong - Netanyahu added.

For decades, Australia has been considered a close friend of Israel, but that relationship began to sour after Canberra announced its recognition of a Palestinian state last week.

Netanyahu drastically sharpened his words on Tuesday evening via the X social network, attacking Albanese, whom he called a "weak politician who has betrayed Israel".

Australia retaliated yesterday, with Interior Minister Tony Burke stating that strength is not just "how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry".

In that interview, Netanyahu also claimed that Israel is "on the verge of finishing this war".

According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu has been repeating this claim for at least a year and a half, using it approximately since February 2024, claiming that the capture of the southern Gaza city of Rafah would end intensive warfare within weeks. In April of that year, he said victory in the war was near.

The Israeli Defense Forces entered Rafah in May 2024, but his prediction did not come true.

After 22 months of resistance to widespread calls in Israel to end the war in exchange for the release of hostages held by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza, the government recently approved plans to capture Gaza City in the north of the Strip, where about a million Gazans reside.

The plan has faced international criticism amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in the area, including from top security officials who warn it could endanger the remaining hostages.

Netanyahu portrays Gaza City as Hamas's last stronghold and compares it to the need for Allied forces to capture Berlin to end World War II, a comparison he also made in today's interview.

Last year, he used the same arguments to push for the need to capture Rafah, according to the Times of Israel.

The interview was reportedly recorded earlier this week, as news spread that Hamas was on the verge of accepting a US ceasefire proposal, which Israel had accepted in the past. Hamas later confirmed it had accepted the proposal, but Israel did not respond to it for at least three days.

When asked by journalist Sharri Markson about these reports and whether Israel would capture all of Gaza and destroy Hamas even if the terrorist group agreed to a ceasefire and a hostage deal, Netanyahu answered affirmatively.

- We will do it in any case. It has always been clear that we will not leave Hamas there - he said, adding that the war could end today "if the terrorists lay down their arms and release the remaining 50 hostages, at least 20 of whom are alive".