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Netanyahu, Gallant: ‘Rafah’ and Sinwar Assassination Key Targets Before Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Latrun, Jerusalem (DPA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Latrun, Jerusalem (DPA)
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Netanyahu, Gallant: ‘Rafah’ and Sinwar Assassination Key Targets Before Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Latrun, Jerusalem (DPA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Latrun, Jerusalem (DPA)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued threats on Monday, just before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's arrival in Tel Aviv.
They vowed to pursue total victory by assassinating Hamas leaders like Yahya Sinwar and escalating the conflict to Rafah.
Netanyahu insisted they wouldn't end the war until these leaders were eliminated and rejected any prisoner release without conditions.
Netanyahu made these comments during a meeting of the Likud parliamentary bloc this afternoon, which also saw verbal clashes among party officials.
“Our goal is a complete victory over Hamas. We will kill the Hamas leadership, so we must continue to operate in all areas in the Gaza Strip. We must not end the war before then. It will take time — months, not years,” said Netanyahu, as quoted by the Times of Israel.
He noted that 110 of the 253 hostages seized in the Hamas-led massacre attack on October 7 had already been released.
Netanyahu cautioned that this time around “Hamas has demands that we will not agree to. The release formula should be similar to the previous agreement.”
He emphasized that a deal would not be made at “any cost.”
In other news, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement to the public that Hamas’s leadership, including Yahya Sinwar, is “on the run.”
“Sinwar does not lead the campaign, does not command the forces. He is busy with his personal survival,” claimed Gallant.
The minister further alleged that the IDF has beaten more than half of Hamas’s forces.
In addition, at an organizational level, he said the victory was larger, having taken apart 18 of Hamas's 24 battalions.
Gallant said that three of four Khan Yunis battalions have been taken apart, with the fourth in western Khan Yunis on the verge of falling.

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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated on Friday that Iraq has received explicit threats from Israel, adding that the country’s armed forces have been instructed by the prime minister to prevent any attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the armed forces to take action against anyone launching attacks from the country. The foreign minister emphasized that Iraq does not seek war and aims to avoid its dangers, noting that the region is “on fire” and facing “clear threats from Israel.”

The agency also reported that the Iraqi government has requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to address Israeli threats. Iraq’s permanent representative to the Arab League submitted a request for a session at the level of permanent representatives of member states to confront what was described as menaces from the “Zionist entity.”

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he had sent a message to the president of the UN Security Council urging immediate action against activities of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Sa’ar asserted that the Iraqi government bears responsibility for any actions occurring within or emanating from its territory.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have expressed pessimism about the outcome of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Nevertheless, they emphasized Baghdad’s commitment to supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and security.

Speaking at the American University Forum in Duhok on Friday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani highlighted that the challenges facing Iraq have fundamentally changed since October 7.

He described the current situation in the Middle East as a “second Nakba”, stressing that the challenges stem from the failure of the international system, which he described as “ambiguous.”

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid stated that Iraq would play its role in promoting peace in the Middle East and expressed his full support for efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Türkiye.

Speaking at the Duhok Forum, Rashid said that Iraq and the region are facing circumstances that require all parties to closely monitor the situation and find appropriate solutions to ongoing problems, emphasizing the need for lasting peace and security.

Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, called for Iraq to remain neutral in the conflict, saying: “The crises in the region and the scenes of war in Lebanon and Gaza are tragic. We hope this suffering will come to an end.”

“We are all awaiting changes following the US presidential election. All indications suggest that a Trump administration will adopt a different approach compared to President Biden’s policies,” he added.

The Iraqi government has stated that under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with the United States, Washington is responsible for “deterring and responding to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.”

According to media reports, the US has informed Baghdad that Israeli military strikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless Baghdad prevents Iran-backed factions from launching attacks against Israel.