Netanyahu Vows Consequences for Hamas, Thanks Allies

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Israel would reject a ceasefire offered by Egypt and Hamas and extract a heavy price from Hamas for its rocket attacks.

“I said that we would strike Hamas and the other terrorist organizations very hard — and we are doing just that. In the last 24 hours, we have attacked underground targets. Hamas thought that it could hide there but it cannot hide there,” Netanyahu said.

“Its senior officials think that they can flee from our strikes — they cannot flee. We will reach them everywhere, all of these people, and we will continue to do so.

“They attacked us on our holiday [Yom Yerushalayim]. They attacked our capital. They launched missiles at our cities. They are paying, and will pay, a very heavy price for this. This is not yet over. We will do everything to restore security to our cities and our people.”

Netanyahu voiced his appreciation for President Joe Biden, who said, “Israel has the right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory.”

Netanyahu also thanked European leaders who have expressed their support to Israel, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had the Israeli flag raised outside her party’s headquarters as a gesture of solidarity.

“I would like to say a word of appreciation to my friend President Biden and to other friends – the President of France, the British Prime Minister, the Chancellor of Austria, the Chancellor of Germany and others.,” Netanyahu said, “They have upheld our natural and self-evident right to defend ourselves, to act in self-defense against these terrorists who both attack civilians and hide behind civilians. This will not help them, and we will continue to take action.”