Ignoring talk of the deal, Netanyahu demands more weapons to continue striking Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a speech before the US Congress on Wednesday, called on Washington to provide Tel Aviv with more weapons to continue the devastating war on Gaza that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians.

"In order for the forces of civilisation to prevail, the United States and Israel must stand side by side," Netanyahu said in the speech, which coincided with massive protests by thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the streets of Washington, demanding an end to the war and the supply of weapons to Israel.

“US President Joe Biden sent aircraft carriers to the Middle East as a deterrent, and he came to Israel to stand by us during difficult hours. It is a visit that will never be forgotten,” he continued, stressing his gratitude for Biden’s half-century of support for Israel. Netanyahu urged the United States to provide Israel with more weapons to continue the brutal war that Tel Aviv has been waging on Gaza for 10 months, claiming that “accelerating US aid to Israel will hasten the end of the war in Gaza and achieve victory.”

Netanyahu said in his speech to Congress that he met on Tuesday with the families of Israeli prisoners held in the Gaza Strip. He added: "We are actively involved in the efforts to secure their release, and I believe that the efforts will be successful. We are continuing the talks until now," without providing further details on the prisoner exchange deal with Hamas. In doing so, Netanyahu disappointed the families of Israeli prisoners who expressed their hopes on Wednesday that he would announce in his speech to Congress that an exchange agreement had been reached to release their relatives from Gaza.

In a related context, Netanyahu attacked anti-Israel demonstrators around the world, saying: "The demonstrators who support Hamas should be ashamed," as he put it, and continued: "I condemn the demonstrators in the United States of America against Israel." He claimed that "the demonstrators in front of Congress have become a toy in the hands of Iran," and claimed that Tehran is financing the protest against Israel.

"When we fight Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, we are fighting Iran," he added, addressing members of Congress, saying, "Our enemies are your enemies and our victory is your victory." He considered that "when Israel moves to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, it is protecting itself and protecting the United States," he claimed.

In a series of attacks on international parties, Netanyahu attacked the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, who confirmed that Israel is starving the Palestinians in Gaza, and accused him of "nonsense and fabrication." He also addressed members of the US Congress, saying: "Thank you for objecting to the false allegations of the International Criminal Court," he said.

Regarding the tension with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border, he said: "We prefer to return our residents (settlers) to the north through diplomatic means." He stressed that Israel "will not allow a repetition of the October 7 attacks, no matter how much pressure it is subjected to."

Regarding the future of Gaza after the war, Netanyahu said: "We will fight until we destroy Hamas's military capabilities, end its rule in Gaza and return the abductees to their homes." He claimed that the war in Gaza "could end tomorrow if Hamas surrenders, lays down its weapons and returns the abductees." At the same time, he stressed that "Israel will not be satisfied with anything less than a complete victory over Hamas."

Netanyahu called for pushing for the establishment of an "Abrahamic military alliance in the Middle East against Iran," referring to the "Abraham Accords" that Israel signed on September 15, 2020 under US sponsorship with the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. He continued: "All countries that will make peace with Israel must be invited to join our alliance." Netanyahu also thanked former US President and current candidate Donald Trump for advancing the "Abraham Accords" and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving the embassy to it and recognizing Tel Aviv's sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, claiming that "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel, which will never be divided again."