Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a somber threat on Sunday, saying he would “open the gates of hell” in Gaza if Palestinian militants don’t release all the hostages. Speaking at the same event hosted visiting U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s determination to disrupt Hamas political and military commanders in the area.
“We have a single strategy, and we can’t always reveal the details, such as when hell’s gates will open, but they will open for sure if all of our hostages are not released,” Netanyahu stated.
Outside Gaza, the Israeli prime minister also mentioned increasing security challenges on Israel’s frontier with Syria and Lebanon. In relation to Syria, he warned that Israel would move to prevent any threat near its southwesterly border, advising any force that used Syria as a base of operations against Israel to be making a “grave mistake.”
Regarding Lebanon, Netanyahu again insisted Hezbollah should be demilitarized and reiterated that Israel “will do what it has to do” to enforce the ceasefire even if the Lebanese military does nothing.
Discussing the future of Gaza, Netanyahu said that there is a “common strategy” between Israel and the erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump. “We talked about Trump’s vision for Gaza’s grand future and will work to make that vision a reality,” he continued.
