Image Credentials: Image Title: Netanyahu Promises Full Israeli Control Over Gaza After Offensive, Cites Trump Plan as Blueprint Source: (Grok, xAI) Date: May 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (Grok, xAI), and it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer with Agencies | May 22, 2025 |Tel Aviv | May 22, 2025
In his first press conference since December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the entire Gaza Strip will fall under Israeli security control following the ongoing military offensive. He also signaled conditional openness to a temporary ceasefire and hostage release, but made clear that Israel would press on until Hamas is defeated and Gaza is demilitarized.
“We are on the path to victory,” Netanyahu stated. “At the end of this operation, every inch of Gaza will be under Israeli security control.” He added that Israel intends to “fully leverage” former U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, calling it “correct” and “revolutionary.”
I'm starting to understand why Bibi Netanyahu accepted the ceasefire deal in January.
Donald Trump just said America will take over Gaza and remove all Arabs permanently from the strip. What a historical moment this is.
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) February 5, 2025
Netanyahu said that a ceasefire deal is possible if certain preconditions are met: the release of all hostages, the exile of Hamas leadership, and complete disarmament of the Gaza Strip. He also noted that Gazans who wish to leave will be allowed to do so.
The prime minister acknowledged intense international pressure to halt the war but insisted that doing so would mean “leaving Hamas in control of Gaza.” He claimed Israel has already achieved much of its “justified” goal to dismantle the militant group and said Israeli forces “likely” killed Hamas commander Mohammed Sinwar last week.
On the humanitarian front, Netanyahu unveiled a three-phase plan, developed in coordination with the United States, to prevent a large-scale crisis. This includes U.S.-funded food distribution centers guarded by Israeli troops and the establishment of a “sterile zone” in southern Gaza for the safe delivery of aid.
This announcement comes just a day after a UN warning that 14,000 infants could die in Gaza without immediate humanitarian intervention.
While reaffirming Israel’s right to self-defense, Netanyahu also addressed threats from Iran, calling it a “major danger.” He expressed hope that the U.S. would reach a diplomatic agreement preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, but emphasized that Israel retains “the right to defend itself from a regime that seeks its destruction.”
Netanyahu dismissed harsh criticism from opposition leader Yair Golan, who accused the government of “turning Israel into a pariah state” and “killing babies as a pastime.” The prime minister condemned the remarks as incitement and said they fuel global antisemitism.
He closed the press conference with a message of resolve: “Our soldiers, and the families of victims, ask us to finish this. And we will. We are united — to victory, to the end.”
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