Netanyahu Says Israel Could Seize Territory in Gaza if Hostages Not Freed

Palestinians walk amid the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive at Al-Shati camp, Gaza City, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians walk amid the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive at Al-Shati camp, Gaza City, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP)
TT
20

Netanyahu Says Israel Could Seize Territory in Gaza if Hostages Not Freed

Palestinians walk amid the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive at Al-Shati camp, Gaza City, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians walk amid the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive at Al-Shati camp, Gaza City, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated threats on Wednesday to seize territory in the Gaza strip if Hamas failed to release the remaining hostages it still holds. 

"The more Hamas continues in its refusal to release our hostages, the more powerful the repression we exert will be," Netanyahu told a hearing in parliament, which was occasionally interrupted by shouting from opposition members. 

"This includes seizing territory and it includes other things," he said. 

Earlier, Hamas warned that hostages may be killed if Israel attempts to retrieve them by force and air strikes continue in Gaza.  

The group said in a statement that it was "doing everything possible to keep the occupation’s captives alive, but the random Zionist (Israeli) bombardment is endangering their lives."  

"Every time the occupation attempts to retrieve its captives by force, it ends up bringing them back in coffins," it said. 



Iraq Agrees to Supply Lebanon with Fuel for Six Months

Beirut seen through the smog. (AP)
Beirut seen through the smog. (AP)
TT
20

Iraq Agrees to Supply Lebanon with Fuel for Six Months

Beirut seen through the smog. (AP)
Beirut seen through the smog. (AP)

Iraq has agreed to supply Lebanon with fuel for six more months, the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement on Saturday, renewing a deal meant to alleviate Lebanon's acute power shortage.

Under the heavy fuel oil deal, first agreed in July 2021, Iraq provides the Lebanese government with the fuel in exchange for services including health care for Iraqi citizens.

Lebanon then swaps the heavy fuel oil for gas oil that it can use at its power stations.

These have operated for decades at partial capacity, but electricity provision deteriorated further during a financial crisis that has hit the state's ability to buy fuel.