This came during a speech delivered by Netanyahu at the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Netanyahu said: "I spoke out strongly against elements in the international community who sought to restrict us (he did not name them). They warned us that they would impose an arms embargo on us if we entered Rafah (southern Gaza). And they carried out this threat."
He claimed, "At that time, I told our interlocutors and our ally, the United States, that our hands would not be tied and that no one would prevent us from defending ourselves. We would enter Rafah, because this is a necessary condition for victory in the war."
He added, "Israel is not a country that accepts dictates, and no country will prevent us from settling scores with Hamas. If we are forced to stand alone, we will," he claimed.
Iranian nuclear warning
Regarding the Iranian issue, Netanyahu claimed that if Israel loses the conflict with Iran, "the Western countries will be next. This will happen much faster than they think, but Israel will not lose, will not surrender, and will not submit," he said.
He claimed that "the regime in Iran threatens not only our future, but the fate of human society, and that is what will happen if it obtains nuclear weapons," he said.
Netanyahu's statements come as indirect negotiations continue between the United States and Iran regarding Tehran's nuclear program.
Muscat hosted the first round of talks between Iran and Washington on April 12, which the White House described as "very positive and constructive," while the Italian capital, Rome, hosted the second round of nuclear negotiations at the Omani ambassador's residence.
Israel's divisions
For his part, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, during the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, addressed Israel's internal divisions, saying, "History will not forgive those who act irresponsibly and try to tear us apart from within, and those who destroy the land beneath our magnificent state, which rose from the ashes of the horrific Holocaust."
Israel is witnessing severe divisions between the Netanyahu-led government coalition, the opposition, and a broad segment of the Israeli public over controversial government measures, including the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
In early March, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel concluded. The agreement, which went into effect on January 19, 2025, was brokered by Egypt and Qatar and supported by the United States, and the Palestinian movement adhered to it.
However, Netanyahu disavowed the start of the second phase and resumed the genocide in the Gaza Strip on March 18, in deference to the most extreme faction within his right-wing government, according to Hebrew media.