JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that the 'intense phase' of its military operation targeting Hamas in Gaza is coming to end.
He said in an Israeli television news channel interview that the Israeli military's focus will soon turn to northern border with Lebanon, where the forces are fighting attacks by Hezbollah.
At the same time, Netanyahu made it clear that IDF will press on with the war until the Palestinian militant organization was wiped out of power in the enclave.
'It doesn't mean that the war is going to end, but the war in its current stage is going to end in Rafah. This is true. We will continue mowing the grass later,' Netanyahu told Channel 14 Television.
He ruled out the idea of allowing West Bank-based Palestinian Authority to wield the administrative power in Gaza once Hamas is thrown out of its hold on the people there.
'I'll tell you what I'm not ready to do, I'm not ready to establish a Palestinian state there, I'm not ready to hand it over to the Palestinian Authority. I'm not ready to do that.'
Netanyahu said he is open to sign 'a partial deal' with Hamas in the matter of the release of hostages.
Meanwhile, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will be visiting Washington this week to discuss with the Biden administration regarding the war in Gaza and the worsening conflict with Hezbollah.
More than 37,550 people have been killed and several thousands are missing in Gaza in IDF retaliation against October 7 cross-border terrorist attacks that killed 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals.
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