Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Tuesday that the country’s response would be “very powerful” if Hamas were to break the ceasefire.
Speaking to reporters and accompanied by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is visiting the country, Netanyahu said: “If Hamas breaks the calm and attacks Israel, our response will be very powerful.
“And we have discussed ways of how to work together to prevent Hamas rearming with weapons and means of aggression.”
The Prime Minister also defended Israel’s determination to defend itself against any actions from Iran who he believes are aiding terrorist group Hamas.
Netanyahu, also addressed the talks with the US Secretary of State and said: “We discussed many regional issues, but none is greater than Iran. And I can tell you that I hope that the United States will not go back to the old JCPOA because we believe that that deal paves the way for Iran to have an arsenal of nuclear weapons with international legitimacy.
“We also reiterated that whatever happens, Israel will always reserve the right to defend itself against a regime committed to our destruction, committed to getting the weapons of mass destruction for that end.”
The PM referred to the nuclear deal signed by the US, Iran and other Western nations in 2015 to keep Iran’s uranium enrichment in check.
After an 11-day conflict in Gaza that left over 250 people dead, mostly Palestinians, the Israeli government and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement. The halt came into effect on Friday although there are still ongoing tensions in the area.
