Perception of US-Israel tension over Rafah hurts hostage deal, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the perception of tension between the Jewish state and the US over the operation in Rafah is making it harder to reach a hostage deal with Hamas.

After the Biden administration halted the delivery of certain munitions to the Israel Defense Forces over fears of growing civilian casualties in Rafah, Netanyahu claimed the optics of a disagreement between the two allies harm Israel’s bargaining power and empower the Iranian-backed terror group.

“That perception certainly doesn’t help the hostage situation, certainly doesn’t help stabilize the Middle East,” Netanyahu said Sunday night on the “Call Me Back” podcast.

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“It gives succor to Iran and its henchmen,” he added. “But it means that we have to apply the pressure even more.”

Netanyahu maintained that military pressure is the best way to force Hamas to accept a deal to free the more than 130 hostages remaining in Gaza, with the IDF continuing to battle terrorists on the outskirts of Rafah, where some of the last Hamas battalions are believed to be stationed.

The prime minister urged the US to stick by its support of the Jewish state and not be influenced by the anti-Israel protests that have erupted across the nation on college campuses.

“Where does America go?” Netanyahu asked. “Does it succumb to this madness, to this ‘mob-ocracy’ in those campuses, to this flagrant antisemitism that is sweeping the globe?

“The fate of the world depends on where America goes,” he stressed. “I think for the sake of humanity, for the sake of our common future, our common values, our civilization, it is very important that America retains its dominant position as the supreme global power.

“These crowds, mobs, in American universities, they burn the Israeli flag, and they burn the American flag,” Netanyahu added. “They chant: ‘Death to Israel, death to America.’ So we’re fighting a common battle, a battle between civilization and barbarism.”

The hesitation from the US came following Israel’s decision to advance into Rafah, southern Gaza’s most populous city harboring more than 1 million refugees who fled the battles in the north.

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The possibility of more civilian casualties remains at the forefront of Biden’s worries in Gaza, with Netanyahu estimating that about one civilian has been killed for every terrorist slain.

“Fourteen thousand have been killed, combatants, and, probably around 16,000 civilians have been killed,” Netanyahu told the “Call Me Back” podcast.

The estimate is slightly lower than the numbers provided by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, which put the total death count at more than 35,000. The ministry’s estimate does not differentiate between terrorists and civilians.

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The Jewish state previously estimated that two civilians were killed for every terrorist back in December.

Despite the civilian death count, Netanyahu suggested it was wrong for the US to halt weapons deliveries while at the same time touting itself as Israel’s biggest ally.

“You cannot say that you support the right of Israel to defend itself and then condemn it when it seeks to exercise that right.”

The prime minister also rejected claims that his administration was prioritizing the destruction of Hamas over the safety of the hostages, calling the accusations “patent nonsense.” 

Netanyahu claimed that the war could be over as soon as “tomorrow” if Hamas chose to free the hostages and exile its operatives out of Gaza. 

The Israeli leader went on to reiterate that no outside party should have a say into where Gaza goes next following Hamas’ defeat, rejecting America’s past proposal for a reformed Palestinian Authority to take reins of the enclave. 

Netanyahu instead opted for a new, civilian administration to replace Hamas, which has governed Gaza for nearly two decades. 

But any plans for Gaza’s futured will only be rolled out once the Palestinian territory no longer poses a threat to Israel, Netanyahu stressed. 

“No one’s going to come in until they know that you either destroyed Hamas or you’re about to destroy Hamas,” Netanyahu said.