Netanyahu says US arms vital to defeat Hamas, deter Hezbollah

The flow of U.S. arms to Israel is essential to “defeat Hamas” and “deter” Hezbollah, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In an interview with U.S. news portal Punchbowl News published on Friday, Netanyahu emphasized the importance of these supplies for achieving shared objectives. “It’s crucial for our common war aims to defeat Hamas and to prevent an escalation in Lebanon to a full-fledged war to have this supply,” Netanyahu stated.

He added that without these supplies, Israel’s capacity to fight would be hampered, describing the conflict as “an actual war of survival and multi-front war against Iran.”

Netanyahu expressed confidence that Israel will “win this war against Hamas, deter a future war in the north with Hezbollah, and ensure our common interests in the Middle East.”

However, he pointed out a “great slowdown in the provision of the important ammunition and weapons,” clarifying that he was not referring to long-term supplies like F-35s or F-16s but rather immediate needs to quickly win the war in Gaza and prevent a war in Lebanon.

This week, tensions arose between President Joe Biden’s administration and Netanyahu due to the Israeli premier’s public criticism of U.S. weapons deliveries. The White House described these comments as “vexing” and “disappointing.”

The controversy started when Netanyahu posted a video on social media earlier this week, claiming that the U.S. administration had been “withholding weapons and ammunition” from Israel in recent months.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to these claims, stating, “We genuinely do not know what he’s talking about.” She clarified that aside from “one particular shipment of munitions,” there have been “no other pauses” in deliveries. This specific shipment of 2,000-pound bombs is under review due to concerns about their use in densely populated areas.