Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday threatened to “open the gates of hell” in Gaza if Palestinian militants do not release all hostages. Speaking alongside visiting US Senator Marco Rubio, Netanyahu said, “We have a common strategy, and we can’t always share its details, including when the gates of hell will be opened, as they surely will if all our hostages are not released.” He reiterated Israel’s commitment to eliminating Hamas’s military and political rule in Gaza.
Netanyahu also addressed security concerns on Israel’s borders with Syria and Lebanon. Warning against threats from Syria, he stated, “Israel will act to prevent any threat from emerging near our border in southwest Syria.” He added that any force using Syria as a base against Israel is “gravely mistaken.”
On Lebanon, Netanyahu insisted that Hezbollah must be disarmed and that Israel “will do what it has to do” to enforce the ceasefire, even if the Lebanese army fails to act.
Discussing Gaza’s future, Netanyahu claimed that Israel and former US President Donald Trump share a “common strategy.” He said, “We discussed Trump’s bold vision for Gaza’s future and will work to ensure that vision becomes a reality.”
