Netanyahu shuts down re-establishing Gaza settlements as 'not realistic'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an interviewed on Sunday to Channel 14, speaking about the war with Hamas and his plans for the "day after."

Regarding the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in Gush Katif, Netanyahu shut down any prospects. "The issue of settling in Gaza is not realistic," he said.

"My policy was all about uprooting Hamas, but there was no national consensus for action," he said.

"We are at war on seven fronts: Iran, (Iran-backed Iraqi) militias, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Judea and Samaria," he said, referring to the West Bank. 

Regarding the steps forward in the war, he said:

"First of all, Hamas must be eliminated. We've had twelve discussions on the subject. The military control in the foreseeable future will be ours, I don't see another entity. We've acted against them in the last three operations. There may be external support from the region's countries. I'm not ready for a Palestinian state. I'm not ready to hand over Gaza to the Palestinian Authority."

"In Iran, there is a countdown for when Israel will be destroyed. We must invest much more in security, free ourselves from dependence on others, and change the rules of warfare. But we need to defeat the arm that perpetrated this massacre against us - we need to eliminate the ruling arms of Hamas," he said.

 He added that the current phase of the Israel-Hamas was is about to end, with future stages focusing on the northern threat of Hezbollah and returning evacuated residents back to communities in the Galilee.

Regarding a possible ceasefire agreement, Netanyahu clarified his stance: "If there is an agreement, it will be on our terms. Hamas will not remain on its feet. I am ready for a partial deal, for a truce."

When asked why the war has been ongoing for many months without victory, Netanyahu explained that "this is a different kind of war. There's no air force to annihilate. It took the United States years to deal with ISIS. We want to annihilate all the battalions in Rafah, but there was international opposition that I, in turn, opposed. They said we wouldn't go in – we went in."

On the northern front, Netanyahu emphasized that any "agreement is a distance away, we'll talk later. I am not ready to leave the situation as it is. We are obligated to bring the residents home."

He boasted of his record in dealing with Iran, holding them "back for many years."

"We are committed to stopping them," he said. "I won't provide details. Iran has tightened its noose."

The prime minister once again called for unity among the people, amid protests against the government over the past week.

"Our enemies are not within," he stressed. "Our enemies are outside. I hear calls of hatred and cynicism, and I say to people: This is a time for greatness, this is a time for unity."

"There is a very small funded minority here - they do not reflect the absolute majority of the people," he added.

Netanyahu also criticised Blue and White lawmakers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot, two former IDF chiefs of staff who resigned from the war cabinet.

"They did something that should not be done," he said. "They left the government when there is war on seven fronts. Who does such a thing in the middle of a war? And to attack so brutally and crudely. I have no political considerations, I have one consideration: to ensure the existence of the state at this time."