Netanyahu Defends Gaza War as U.S. Intervenes

At a Jerusalem ceremony for new Shin Bet director Maj.-Gen. (Res.) David Zini, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended continuing the Gaza war, praised Shin Bet counterterrorism successes, vowed to recover all hostages, and said stopping earlier would have risked catastrophic defeat, warning Israelis would have “gone up in nuclear smoke.” In a combative Knesset speech he argued Hamas only accepted the current hostage‑ceasefire terms after IDF advances into Gaza City, vowed to maintain military pressure, and promised eventual elimination of Hamas’s military and governing wings. Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire with an attack in Rafah and said Israel responded with heavy strikes. U.S. President Donald Trump told Time he intervened to prevent the war from “going on for years” and called an attempted Israeli strike in Qatar a mistake that helped push parties toward a deal. The political fallout includes National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir pushing back against U.S. opposition to West Bank annexation and rejecting calls to free Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, while U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the annexation vote, highlighting growing domestic and international friction over Israel’s strategy.