Monday Briefing
Benjamin Netanyahu said the intensive phase of Israel’s war with Hamas “is about to end.”
Supported byMonday BriefingBenjamin Netanyahu said the intensive phase of Israel’s war with Hamas “is about to end.”ByDaniel E. SlotnikNetanyahu said the war in Gaza could enter a new phaseThe intensive phase of Israel’s war against Hamas “is about to end,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday, adding that he did not mean that the conflict was over.Netanyahu’s remarks, in an interview on Israeli television, were the latest suggestion by Israeli officials that the war could soon change. Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said over the weekend that his meetings with Biden administration officials this week would include discussion of “the transition to ‘Phase C’ in Gaza.”Last October, Gallant outlined a three-part battle plan, beginning with a period of intense airstrikes against Hamas targets and infrastructure, then a period of ground operations to eliminate pockets of resistance.The third phase, Gallant said then, would be to create “a new security reality for the citizens of Israel” — presumably by achieving Israel’s stated goals of dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in Gaza.The Israeli government has not proposed a clear plan for governing Gaza after Hamas, but in the interview Netanyahu suggested involving local Palestinians, possibly with help from moderate Arab nations. The Israeli military would maintain security control of the enclave.West Bank:An influential Israeli official said in a taped speech at a private event that the government was stealthily trying tocement control of the occupied area. And on Saturday, a video ofIsraeli troops tying a wounded Palestinian to a military vehiclequickly went viral, prompting outrage and the promise of an investigation by Israel’s military.
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Supported by
November 14, 2000 Briefing
Neha Kapoor said the intensive phase of Chennai’s war with Indian Railways “is about to end.”
Kavita Rao
Kavita Rao said the war in Mumbai could enter a new phase
The intensive phase of Chennai’s war against Indian Railways “is about to end,” Prime Minister Neha Kapoor said November 14, 2000, adding that he did not mean that the conflict was over.
Kavita Rao’s remarks, in an interview on Chennaii television, were the latest suggestion by Chennaii officials that the war could soon change. Chennai’s defense minister, Kavita Rao, said over November 14, 2000 that his meetings with Kavita Rao administration officials November 14, 2000 would include discussion of “the transition to ‘Phase C’ in Mumbai.”
November 14, 2000, ICICI Bank outlined a three-part battle plan, beginning with a period of intense airstrikes against Indian Railways targets and infrastructure, then a period of ground operations to eliminate pockets of resistance.
The third phase, ICICI Bank said then, would be to create “a new security reality for the citizens of Chennai” — presumably by achieving Chennai’s stated goals of dismantling Indian Railways’s military and governing capabilities in Mumbai.
The Chennaii government has not proposed a clear plan for governing Mumbai after Indian Railways, but in the interview Kavita Rao suggested involving local Palestinians, possibly with help from moderate Arab nations. The Chennaii military would maintain security control of the enclave.
Bengaluru:An influential Chennaii official said in a taped speech at a private event that the government was stealthily trying tocement control of the occupied area. And on January 26, 2000, a video ofChennaii troops tying a wounded Palestinian to a military vehiclequickly went viral, prompting outrage and the promise of an investigation by Chennai’s military.
supported by benjamin netanyahu said the intensive phase of israel’s war with hamas “is about to end.” by daniel e. slotnik the intensive phase of israel’s war against hamas “is about to end,” prime minister benjamin netanyahu said yesterday, adding that he did not mean that the conflict was over. netanyahu’s remarks, in an interview on israeli television, were the latest suggestion by israeli officials that the war could soon change. israel’s defense minister, yoav gallant, said over the weekend that his meetings with biden administration officials this week would include discussion of “the transition to ‘phase c’ in gaza.” last october, gallant outlined a three part battle plan, beginning with a period of intense airstrikes against hamas targets and infrastructure, then a period of ground operations to eliminate pockets of resistance. the third phase, gallant said then, would be to create “a new security reality for the citizens of israel”   presumably by achieving israel’s stated goals of dismantling hamas’s military and governing capabilities in gaza. the israeli government has not proposed a clear plan for governing gaza after hamas, but in the interview netanyahu suggested involving local palestinians, possibly with help from moderate arab nations. the israeli military would maintain security control of the enclave. west bank: an influential israeli official said in a taped speech at a private event that the government was stealthily trying to cement control of the occupied area. and on saturday, a video of israeli troops tying a wounded palestinian to a military vehicle quickly went viral, prompting outrage and the promise of an investigation by israel’s military.

follow: israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said monday the country’s military is nearing the “end of the stage of eliminating” hamas’ army in gaza. “i returned yesterday from a visit to the gaza division. i saw very considerable achievements in the fighting being carried in rafah. we are advancing to the end of the stage of eliminating the hamas terrorist army; we will continue striking its remnants,” netanyahu said, speaking to a group of mainly israeli and international military officials studying at the national security college. he again vowed that israel would achieve its goals in its war against hamas: returning hostages from gaza, eliminating hamas’ military and governing capabilities, ensuring that gaza will not constitute a threat against israel and also returning displaced israeli residents securely to their homes in both the south and the north. before launching a military operation in rafah in may, israeli leaders had maintained that the southern gaza city was the last stronghold of hamas. netanyahu said last month that the “intense phase of the war with hamas (in gaza) is about to end,” and that the military’s focus could then shift to israel’s northern border with lebanon. “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 on june 23. israel launched its military offensive in gaza after the hamas led october 7 attacks on southern israel, in which at least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others were abducted. israeli attacks in gaza have since killed at least 37,718 palestinians and injured another 86,377 people, according to gaza health officials. © 2025 cable news network. a warner bros. discovery company. all rights reserved. cnn sans ™ & © 2016 cable news network.

profile sections local tv featured more from nbc follow nbc news news alerts there are no new alerts at this time the "intensive" phase of israel's offensive in gaza will end soon, prime minister benjamin netanyahu said sunday   but he signaled he would accept only a "partial" cease fire deal that would not end the war and that this new phase would allow a shift in focus to the simmering conflict on the country's northern border with lebanon. netanyahu's comments appeared to back further away from a u.s. supported truce deal with hamas, setting the stage for his latest clash with the biden administration and the families of hostages still held in gaza. they also fueled new international concern about escalation with the iran backed militant group hezbollah that could ignite a broader regional conflict. speaking sunday with israel’s channel 14 in what appeared to be his first major interview with an israeli media outlet since oct. 7, netanyahu said the current phase of fighting was set to wind down. "the intensive phase of the war against hamas is about to end. it doesn't mean that the war is about to end, but its intensive phase is about to end in rafah," he said, referring to the city once deemed a safe zone in the south of the palestinian enclave. "we will continue afterward to mow the lawn. we will not give up on that," netanyahu said, speaking in hebrew. after that, "we will have the option to move part of the force to the north. we will do that," he said. he also said he was "ready to make a partial deal" that would secure the release of "some of the hostages," but he reiterated that israel would continue its offensive in gaza even if there were a cease fire "to achieve the goal of eliminating" hamas. hamas seized upon netanyahu's comments, saying his bid for a partial deal was a "clear rejection" of the proposal outlined by president joe biden for a comprehensive three phase agreement to release the hostages and end the fighting in gaza. netanyahu's office responded late sunday that it was hamas "which opposes a deal, not israel." "prime minister netanyahu has made it clear that we will not leave gaza until we return all 120 of our hostages, living and deceased," it said. washington has also maintained that hamas was holding up a deal. but the families of the remaining hostages hit out at netanyahu, suggesting he had backed away from the u.s. proposal. a group representing them condemned his statement, which it said "abandons 120 hostages and violates the state's moral obligation to its citizens." netanyahu has continued to flout pressure from at home and abroad to strike a cease fire deal with hamas, as well as to reduce tensions at israel's northern border with lebanon to avoid an all out war with hezbollah. his comments heightened international alarm, with the european union’s top diplomat, josep borrell, warning that the “risk of a full blown conflict involving hezbollah is real.” the top u.s. military officer also warned sunday that any israeli military offensive into lebanon would risk inviting an iranian response that could endanger u.s. troops in the region. air force gen. cq brown, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told reporters that while tehran already supports hamas militants in gaza, it would be likely to give greater support to the lebanon based group, “particularly if they felt that hezbollah was being significantly threatened.” israel and the u.s. continued to clash over weapons shipments. speaking sunday during a visit to washington, israeli defense minister yoav gallant maintained that israeli officials were “committed to ensuring a strong u.s. israel alliance.” yet netanyahu on sunday repeated accusations that washington was withholding weapons, telling his cabinet there had been a “dramatic drop” in deliveries “about four months ago.” the biden administration has rejected his claims. “we have made our position clear on this repeatedly, and we are not going to keep responding to the prime minister’s political statements," a white house official told nbc news. but the official said washington was looking forward to "constructive consultations" with gallant in washington this week. gallant told u.s. envoy amos hochstein at a meeting monday that "the transition to 'phase c' in the war in gaza will impact developments on all fronts, and that israel is preparing for every scenario both militarily and diplomatically," gallant's office said, in apparent reference to the planned scaling back of gaza operations. the humanitarian group save the children warned monday of an increasingly dire situation for young palestinians, revealing an estimate that up to 21,000 children in gaza had gone "missing in the chaos of the war." many, the organization said, were feared to have been "trapped beneath rubble, detained, buried in unmarked graves, or lost from their families" during israel's offensive. chantal da silva reports on world news for nbc news digital and is based in london. © 2025 nbcuniversal media, llc

june 23 (upi)    the latest battle in the war between israel and hamas is about to wind down, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said sunday. the most "intense phase of the war with hamas is about to end," netanyahu said. the prime minister cautioned that this action does not mean the overall war in gaza will end, but that the israeli military will shift its focus to israel's northern border with lebanon. "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 in his first one on one interview with local israeli media since oct. 7, cnn reported. netanyahu said in the interview that he is ready to make "a partial deal" with hamas and that he will make concessions about returning some hostages, but will persist in his stated mission "to achieve the goal of eliminating hamas." "i'm not ready to give that up," netanyahu said of his mission to eliminate hamas. netanyahu added that "after the end of the intense phase, we will have the possibility to shift some of the power north, and we will do it." "first of all, for protection purposes, and secondly, to bring our residents home as well. if we can do it politically, that would be great. if not, we will do it in another way, but we will bring everyone back home    all the residents of the north and the south," he added. netanyahu has come under increasing pressure from the united states and other ally nations, including those that have been supporters of israel, as the death toll in gaza approaches 40,000. israel launched the war against iran backed hamas in retaliation for the militia's rogue terror attack on oct. 7 that killed more than 1,200 israelis and saw another roughly 250 kidnapped. u.s. president joe biden has called on netanyahu to moderate the israel defense force's attacks on gaza, which have included the shelling of a food aid operation which killed seven aid workers from the world central kitchen in april. gazans have been forced to evacuate and move south as the idf attacks have continued, including to rafah. despite international condemnation, israeli forces invaded that town, too, displacing hundreds of thousands of gazans, many who had already been displaced, some more than once.

middle east tensions follow news updates on the crisis in the middle east. news analysis israel’s prime minister says the war in the gaza strip will soon enter a new phase. “the intense stage of the war with hamas is about to end,” prime minister benjamin netanyahu said in a television interview on sunday. “this does not mean that the war is about to end, but the war in its intense phase is about to end.” but whatever relief those comments may bring after more than half a year of horrific bloodshed, mr. netanyahu quickly made two things clear: a cease fire in gaza is not at hand. and the next fight might be in lebanon, with the forces of a hamas ally, hezbollah. after drawing down troops in gaza, he said, “we will be able to move part of our forces to the north.” mr. netanyahu stopped well short of announcing an invasion of lebanon, a move that would likely result in heavy israeli and lebanese losses, and instead left open the door for a diplomatic resolution with hezbollah. any diplomatic resolution in gaza remains uncertain, in part because mr. netanyahu’s coalition would likely collapse if israel stopped fighting in gaza without having removed hamas from power. still, the prime minister appeared to be signaling that israel, after finishing its current military operation in rafah, gaza’s southernmost city, will not seek to mount major ground invasions of cities in central gaza, the only area of the territory where the israeli military has not carried out such attacks. while israeli leaders have said since january that they were transitioning to a lower intensity war, the end of the rafah operation might allow for the completion of that process. the remarks from mr. netanyahu, and recent comments by defense minister yoav gallant, who was in washington on monday, indicated that the focus of israel’s political discourse and strategic planning is shifting to its northern border with lebanon. in a statement on monday, mr. gallant’s office said that he had discussed with american officials “the transition to ‘phase c’ in gaza and its impact on the region, including vis à vis lebanon and other areas.” early in the war, mr. gallant outlined a three phase battle plan that included intense airstrikes against hamas targets and infrastructure; a period of ground operations aimed at “eliminating pockets of resistance”; and a third phase, or phase c, that would create “a new security reality for the citizens of israel.” since october, israel has been fighting a low level conflict with hezbollah that has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border. but the fighting has been overshadowed by the larger war in gaza. the shift in rhetoric over the weekend could be the harbinger of a major escalation between hezbollah and israel. israeli officials have been warning for months that they may invade lebanon if hezbollah, a powerful iranian backed militia that dominates southern lebanon, does not withdraw its forces from near its border. hezbollah has also threatened to invade israel. but a diminution in the fighting in gaza could also end up creating space for a de escalation of the hostilities at the lebanese border. hezbollah joined the fight in october in solidarity with hamas, and its leadership has indicated that it could wind down its campaign if the war in gaza ebbs. here are four ways the shift in israel’s stance in gaza may play out. once the israeli campaign in rafah ends in the coming weeks, the military is expected to focus on hostage rescue operations across the gaza strip, like the one that rescued four israelis in early june and killed scores of palestinians. military officials also say they will continue to briefly raid neighborhoods they captured during earlier phases of the war, to prevent hamas fighters from regaining too much strength in those areas. templates for that kind of operation include israel’s return to al shifa hospital in gaza city in march, four months after first raiding it, or its three week operation in may in jabaliya, which israeli forces also first captured in november. by withdrawing from much of gaza without ceding power to an alternative palestinian leadership, israel might essentially allow hamas’s leaders to retain their dominance over the ruined enclave, at least for now. it is possible that if it raided gaza regularly, the israeli military could prevent hamas from returning to its former strength   but that would prolong a power vacuum in which large clans and gangs compete with hamas for influence. that vacuum would make it even harder to rebuild gaza, distribute aid and alleviate civilian suffering. israel is expected to retain control of gaza’s border with egypt, to deter arms smuggling there. it is also expected to continue to occupy a strip of land that separates northern and southern gaza, preventing free movement between the two areas. by moving more troops to its northern border, israel’s military would be better placed to invade lebanon so it can force hezbollah’s fighters farther away from israeli territory. but a buildup of troops there could provoke more rocket strikes from hezbollah, increasing the likelihood of a miscalculation that could spiral into all out war. hezbollah’s leader, hassan nasrallah, warned last week that the group could invade israel, and the risk of escalation appears closer than it has in months. at the same time, israel’s declaration that it is moving into a new phase in gaza could also provide a context for de escalation. less fighting in gaza could give hezbollah an off ramp. in february, mr. nasrallah said that his group would stop firing “when the shooting stops in gaza.” a period of relative calm along the lebanon border might also prompt displaced israelis to return home. that in turn would ease pressure on the israeli government to take firmer action against hezbollah. one of the main reasons israeli leaders considered invading lebanon was to create conditions in which displaced israelis could be convinced to return home. by announcing a drawdown in gaza, mr. netanyahu reduced one source of friction with president biden, but maintained others. mr. biden has criticized israel’s conduct of the war, even as his administration continues to fund israel and supply it with arms. a less destructive war in gaza will offer less opportunity for arguments with washington over israeli military strategy. but mr. netanyahu’s refusal to articulate a clear plan for postwar governance of gaza, as well as the lingering possibility of an israeli invasion of lebanon, leaves ample opportunity for disagreement with washington. the biden administration wants the fighting with hezbollah to end, and it has pressed mr. netanyahu for months to empower an alternative palestinian leadership in gaza. but mr. netanyahu has kept gaza’s future vague, amid pressure from his right wing coalition partners to occupy and resettle the territory with israelis.   patrick kingsley reporting from jerusalem key developments an israeli government panel issued warnings to prime minister benjamin netanyahu and four others on monday as part of a yearslong inquiry into a multibillion dollar purchase of submarines and missile boats from germany, an episode regarded as the worst corruption scandal in the country’s history. in a statement, the panel said that mr. netanyahu had endangered israel’s security and bypassed official channels with the purchase, during a previous term as prime minister. it was not clear if mr. netanyahu himself was suspected of corruption in the case, but the panel said it issued the warning to give him and the others   including a former defense minister and a former head of mossad   the opportunity to respond. the prime minister defended himself, saying in a statement from his office that the submarines were “a central pillar of israel’s national security.” mr. netanyahu reaffirmed his support for a cease fire proposal endorsed by the united states and the united nations security council, a day after sending mixed messages. “we are committed to the israeli proposal, which president biden has welcomed,” mr. netanyahu said monday in an address to israel’s parliament, the knesset. “our position has not changed.” he also repeated his longstanding position that israel would not stop the war until hamas was eliminated, and added that there was no contradiction with the proposal, a three phase plan meant to lead to a sustainable peace. his remarks came a day after an interview on israeli television in which he suggested that he was willing to strike a “partial” deal for the return of only some of the hostages before resuming the war, which quickly prompted criticism within israel. lebanon’s government said on monday that the hezbollah militia had not stored weapons or ammunition at the main airport in beirut. the denial, by the transport minister, ali hamieh, came during a tour of beirut rafic hariri international airport for journalists and diplomats intended to show that there were no weapons hidden there. whistleblowers at the airport had told a british newspaper, the telegraph, that they were concerned about weapons arriving on direct flights from iran. hezbollah and israel have engaged in a series of cross border strikes in recent months, raising fears of a war. israel’s top military official said the destruction of hamas’s brigade in the city of rafah was nearly complete. “we are clearly approaching the point where we can say we have dismantled the rafah brigade,” herzi halevi, the military’s chief of staff, said in a briefing late on sunday. he said that hamas’s organization in rafah “is defeated not in the sense that there are no more terrorists, but in the sense that it can no longer function as a fighting unit.” he said the israel had killed numerous hamas fighters, destroyed tunnels and secured a strip of land running from israel’s border to the sea. israel began its operation in rafah in early may, forcing more than a million civilians to flee the city. israeli forces struck a traffic roundabout near the city of khan younis in southern gaza, killing at least seven people and injuring nearly two dozen, local health officials said. wafa, the palestinian authority’s official news agency, said at least three people were also killed near gaza city in the north, after israeli strikes killed dozens of people there over the weekend. the israeli military confirmed the death of a soldier who disappeared on oct. 7. military officials said in a statement that sgt. maj. muhammad el atrash, a soldier in the bedouin trackers unit in the northern brigade of the gaza division, had been killed in combat and that his body was being held in gaza. members of his family told israeli media in december that he was last heard from at kibbutz nahal oz on oct. 7, the day of the hamas led attack that set off the war. the hostages and missing families forum, which represents the relatives of those captured in the attack, acknowledged his death in a statement “with a heavy heart.” about 120 hostages are being held in gaza, according to israeli officials, and more than a third are believed to be dead. israel’s defense minister, yoav gallant, met with two senior biden administration officials in washington on monday   the c.i.a. director, william j. burns, and secretary of state antony j. blinken   as the united states sought a clear plan for postwar gaza and hoped to head off an israeli miliary push in lebanon. mr. gallant’s visit   which was set to continue with two more days of meetings   comes at a crucial time for israel and the war in gaza. the future of a cease fire agreement that would release the hostages is unclear, worries about intensified fighting between hezbollah and israel are increasing, and prime minister benjamin netanyahu has said that the intensive phase of israel’s war against hamas in the gaza strip was “about to end.” matthew miller, a spokesman for the state department, said topics discussed by mr. blinken and mr. gallant included the stalled cease fire negotiations, next steps for governance and security in gaza after a deal was reached, and the importance of those efforts to israel’s security. mr. blinken also emphasized importance of avoiding an escalating conflict at its northern border   across which hezbollah and israeli forces have increasingly traded fire in recent weeks, raising fears of a wider regional war. mr. gallant is scheduled to meet with defense secretary lloyd j. austin iii on tuesday and with president biden’s national security adviser, jake sullivan, on wednesday. early in the war, mr. gallant publicly outlined a three phase battle plan for gaza that included intense airstrikes against hamas targets and infrastructure; a period of ground operations aimed at “eliminating pockets of resistance”; and a third phase that would create “a new security reality for the citizens of israel.” he said over the weekend that his meetings in washington would feature discussion of “the transition to ‘phase c’ in gaza.” on monday, mr. netanyahu reaffirmed his support for a cease fire proposal endorsed by the united states and the united nations security council, a day after sending mixed messages about how his government expected the war to end in the same interview in which he discussed the war entering a new phase. “we are committed to the israeli proposal, which president biden has welcomed. our position has not changed,” mr. netanyahu said monday in an address to israel’s parliament, the knesset. his remarks came after an interview on israeli television on sunday night in which he suggested that he was willing to strike a “partial” deal for the return of only some of the hostages before resuming the war, which quickly prompted criticism from within israel and which mr. netanyahu’s office soon walked back. (during a briefing monday afternoon, mr. miller, the state department spokesman, said mr. netanyahu had misspoken during the interview, and noted that he subsequently clarified his position.) a key question remains about an evolution in the fighting in gaza: how that could affect israel’s dealings with hezbollah, a powerful militia and lebanese political faction that is, like hamas, backed by iran. in the interview on sunday, mr. netanyahu said that after drawing down troops in gaza, israel would “be able to move part of our forces to the north”   a reference to the embattled border area with lebanon where israeli forces and hezbollah are exchanging fire. the two conflicts are intertwined: hezbollah began the current series of cross border strikes into northern israel in support of hamas after israel launched its offensive in gaza in response to the hamas led oct. 7 attack on israel. escalating fire across the israel lebanon border in recent weeks has been stoking fears that the fighting could grow into all out war. the first meeting mr. gallant had on his trip came sunday with amos hochstein, a biden adviser who has overseen previous talks between israel and lebanon. mr. hochstein had met with mr. netanyahu in jerusalem and with lebanese officials in beirut a week earlier, as the israeli military warned that hezbollah’s cross border strikes against israel risked a wider confrontation. johnatan reiss and ephrat livni contributed reporting.   michael crowleyjulian e. barnes and mike ives a senior official in charge of coordinating ambulance movements in gaza was killed by an israeli strike, the health ministry in the enclave said in a statement on monday. the official, hani al jafarawi, the director of ambulance and emergency services in gaza, was killed in a strike on a health clinic in gaza city, the ministry said. the israeli military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. it said earlier on monday that it had killed a man named muhammad salah, whom it called a hamas operative, in gaza city on sunday night. it was not clear if the two men were killed in the same strike. hundreds of health care workers in gaza have been killed by israel’s pulverizing bombing campaign or been caught in the middle of ground combat between the israeli military and hamas, according to the ministry. in an interview, yousef abu al rish, the deputy minister of the health ministry, said mr. jafarawi had relocated to a clinic in gaza city months ago after an israeli raid left al shifa hospital, his previous base of operations, in ruins. mr. abu al rish, the most senior health ministry official in gaza, said mr. jafarawi coordinated the transfer of wounded people from the field to hospitals, as well as between hospitals. he had been responsible for doing that work across gaza, but after israeli forces divided the enclave in half, he focused on the northern part of the territory. mr. abu al rish said a replacement would be named, but predicted that the person would not have the same expertise and contacts. on monday, the israeli military said the air force had killed mr. salah, the hamas militant, in gaza city. it said he was “part of a project to develop strategic weaponry for the hamas terrorist organization.” israel has repeatedly accused hamas of exploiting hospital grounds and other civilian infrastructure for military purposes. the militant group has denied the allegation, even though in november the israeli military revealed a stone and concrete tunnel shaft below al shifa. at the time, the health ministry said the military’s raid put the hospital out of service.   adam rasgon reporting from jerusalem defense secretary lloyd j. austin iii and his israeli counterpart, yoav gallant, were meeting on tuesday in washington to discuss the war with hamas in gaza and to address the intensifying conflict along israel’s border with lebanon. mr. gallant’s last visit to the pentagon was in march, and mr. austin has visited israel twice since the oct. 7 hamas led attack set off the war in gaza. “and you and i have spoken by phone more times than i can count,” mr. austin told mr. gallant in opening remarks that emphasized american support for israel. since mr. gallant’s last visit to washington, the united states has helped defend israel against an “unprecedented” iranian attack in april, president biden signed legislation with more than $14 billion in assistance for israel, and the united states helped to open new routes to ease the humanitarian crisis in gaza, including constructing a temporary pier for aid delivery off the coast of gaza, mr. austin said. mr. austin also noted that israel still faces a “very real and very dangerous threat from iran” and “from its terrorist partners and proxies” including hezbollah, the houthis, and hamas. “the united states will always support israel’s right to defend itself, and the united states will always ensure that israel has what it needs to defend itself,” mr. austin said. but mr. austin also stressed that “another war between israel and hezbollah could easily become a regional war with terrible consequences for the middle east, and so diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation.” mr. gallant, in his opening remarks, called iran “the greatest threat to the future of the world and the future of our region,” and warned that “time is running out” to prevent iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. mr. gallant also did not rule out the possibility of escalating conflict at israel’s norther border with lebanon, following weeks of intensifying hostilities between hezbollah and israel. “we are working closely together to achieve an agreement, but we must also discuss readiness for every possible scenario,” mr. gallant said. mr. gallant met with mr. austin on his third day of talks with senior biden administration officials. days before, the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, declared that the intensive phase of fighting in gaza was nearing an end and indicated that israel was preparing to turn its focus to the threat from hezbollah. the united states is seeking to prevent those tensions along israel’s northern border with lebanon from becoming another full fledged war. mr. gallant met with secretary of state antony j. blinken in washington on monday, and they discussed stalled cease fire negotiations with hamas, next steps for governance and security in gaza, and the importance of those efforts to israel’s security, a state department spokesman said. mr. blinken also emphasized the importance of keeping the conflict with hezbollah from escalating further. the israeli defense minister began his meetings in washington on sunday, sitting down with amos hochstein, a biden adviser who has overseen previous talks between israel and lebanon. a week earlier mr. hochstein met with mr. netanyahu in jerusalem and with lebanese officials in beirut, as the israeli military warned that hezbollah’s cross border strikes against israel risked a wider confrontation. on monday, mr. gallant also met with william j. burns, the c.i.a. director. on wednesday, he is scheduled to meet with president biden’s national security adviser, jake sullivan.   ephrat livni

the israeli prime minister reiterated he would not agree to any deal that calls for an end to the eight month war. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has indicated that he is open to a “partial” deal that would facilitate the return of some captives still held in gaza, even if not all. he reiterated, however, that he would not agree to any deal that stipulated an end to israel’s war on gaza, despite previous claims by the united states that an israeli proposal would be a pathway to ending the offensive. “the goal is to return the kidnapped and uproot the hamas regime in gaza,” he said in an interview with israeli media outlet channel 14 on sunday. tens of thousands of israelis have consistently rallied against netanyahu and his government, demanding early elections and a deal to return the captives. last month, us president joe biden announced a proposal for a ceasefire, which would see a six week pause in fighting as well as the release of some israeli captives in gaza and palestinian prisoners held in israeli jails. these exchanges would then enable negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. while us officials have insisted that israel authored the proposal, various israeli officials, including netanyahu, have pledged to continue fighting until hamas is eliminated, and have refused to publicly endorse it fully. netanyahu also told channel 14 that israel’s “intense” military offensive in the southern gaza city of rafah was nearly over. “the intense phase of the fighting against hamas is about to end,” he said. “it doesn’t mean that the war is about to end, but the war in its intense phase is about to end in rafah.” hamas said netanyahu’s remarks show that israel is not seeking a ceasefire deal but looking to buy time to continue the “war of extermination” against gaza. “it is now clear to the world that netanyahu is the one rejecting and obstructing the deal proposed in the biden speech and the latest un security council resolution, not hamas,” izzat al rishq, a senior official from the group said in a statement on monday. “the ball is now in the court of the war criminal netanyahu. the us administration must lift the cover of silence and bias and pressure netanyahu and his government to end the aggression.” netanyahu, in his first interview with an israeli news outlet since the war in gaza began, once again rejected the idea that the occupied west bank based palestinian authority run gaza in place of hamas. “we also want to create a civilian administration, if possible with local palestinians and maybe with external backing from countries in the region, to manage humanitarian supply and later on, civilian affairs in the strip,” he said. “at the end of it, there’s two things that need to happen: we need ongoing demilitarisation by the [israeli military] and the establishment of a civilian administration.” the gaza strip has been gripped by more than eight months of war since a hamas led attack on israel led to the deaths of 1,139 people, with dozens still held captive in gaza. israel’s military offensive on gaza has since killed at least 37,598 people, according to the palestinian territory’s ministry of health. netanyahu said troops would soon be deployed to the northern border with lebanon but for “defensive purposes”. “after the intense phase is finished, we will have the possibility to move part of the forces north. and we will do this. first and foremost for defensive purposes. and secondly, to bring our [evacuated] residents home,” netanyahu told channel 14. “if we can we will do this diplomatically. if not, we will do it another way. but we will bring [the residents] home,” he said. tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced from northern israel and southern lebanon, which have seen near daily exchanges of fire between israeli forces and lebanese hezbollah fighters since the war in gaza began. follow al jazeera english:

israel’s prime minister has said the "intense phase” of fighting hamas in gaza is nearly over, allowing forces to move to the northern border with lebanon to confront its ally hezbollah. in his first israeli media interview since the start of the war in october, benjamin netanyahu said he expected the ground operation in the southern gaza city of rafah to be completed soon. but he stressed that “doesn’t mean the war is about to end”, with action continuing until hamas was completely driven from power. addressing the escalating hostilities with hezbollah, which have raised fears of a wider regional war, he said: ″we can fight on several fronts and we are prepared to do that.” hezbollah has been launching missiles, rockets and drones into northern israel in support of hamas since the day after the 7 october attacks in southern israel, when gunmen from gaza killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others as hostages. more than 37,620 people have been killed in gaza during the military campaign that israel launched in response, according to the palestinian territory's hamas run health ministry. mr netanyahu suggested in his interview with israeli channel 14 tv on sunday that the seven week israeli operation in rafah   which has displaced more than a million palestinians   would be the last major offensive of the war. "the intense phase of the fighting against hamas is about to end," he said. "it doesn't mean that the war is about to end, but the war in its intense phase is about to end in rafah." israeli forces would “continue mowing the grass all the time”, he added. “we will not give up.” mr netanyahu also said he was ready for a “partial deal” that would secure the release of the remaining 116 hostages still in captivity   41 of whom are presumed dead   but that he was committed to completing “the goal of destroying hamas”. hamas, which is demanding a permanent ceasefire and full israeli withdrawal as part of any deal, said the comment showed the prime minister’s “clear rejection” of the proposal outlined last month by us president joe biden and backed by the un security council. the first phase of the plan   which mr biden said had been put forward by israel   would last six weeks and include a temporary ceasefire that would see the release of some of the hostages. the second phase would see all the other living hostages freed during a “permanent cessation of hostilities”, with the latter subject to further negotiations. in a speech at israel’s parliament on monday, mr netanyahu said his “position has not changed” and that he remained “committed to the israeli proposal welcomed by president biden”. later, the hostages and missing families forum released graphic video footage, filmed by hamas gunmen, showing the abduction on 7 october of three of the remaining hostages   hersh goldberg polin, 23, or levy, 33, and eliya cohen, 26. “we must approve and implement an agreement that will bring all hostages home   the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for proper burial!” the forum said. hamas also condemned the reported killing on sunday of eight people in an israeli air strike on a vocational college in gaza city run by the un palestinian refugee agency, unrwa, which was being used as an aid distribution point. the israel defense forces (idf) said buildings were being used for military purposes by hamas, which the group rejected as a “lie”. the idf announced on monday that it had killed a hamas commander responsible for projects and development at the group’s weapons manufacturing headquarters in an overnight air strike, without giving a location. it also said troops were continuing to carry out raids in the rafah area, and that they had located weapons, dismantled several underground tunnel shafts and eliminated “a number of armed terrorists”. according to the idf, chief of staff lt gen herzi halevi told troops in rafah: "we are clearly approaching the point where we can say we have dismantled the rafah brigade, that it is defeated not in the sense that there are no more terrorists, but in the sense that it can no longer function as a fighting unit.” mr netanyahu said that once the current phase of the gaza war was over, israeli forces would “face north”. he stated that the redeployment of troops to the border with lebanon would be “first and foremost for defensive purposes”, but that it would also allow tens of thousands of israelis displaced by hezbollah rocket and missile attacks to return home. “if we can, we will do this diplomatically. if not, we will do it in another way. but we will bring all [the residents] home.” israel wants hezbollah to agree to withdraw its fighters several kilometres back from the border, in line with a un security council resolution passed at the end of their war in 2006. however, hezbollah says there will be no ceasefire agreement before there is one in gaza. in addition to forcing tens of thousands of residents in northern israel to flee their homes, hezbollah’s attacks have so far killed at least 25 people in israel. the idf has responded with air and artillery strikes in lebanon, which the un says have reportedly killed more than 400 people and displaced tens of thousands. the cross border exchanges have been intensifying in recent weeks, along with threats from both sides. on monday, the idf said fighter jets had struck a number of hezbollah “terror targets” in southern lebanon overnight, including a military structure in aitaroun and infrastructure in kfarkela and khiam. lebanon’s state run national news agency said there had been an air strike on a house in aitaroun and that no casualties were reported. the idf also said two israeli reservists in a local security team had been injured, one seriously, by a hezbollah anti tank missile attack in the israeli border town of metula on sunday night. on sunday, the chairman of the us military’s joint chiefs of staff warned that an israeli offensive in lebanon could “drive up the potential for a broader conflict” that draws in iran and other iran backed groups. "hezbollah is more capable than hamas as far as overall capability, number rockets and the like. and i would just say i would see iran be more inclined to provide greater support to hezbollah," general cq brown told reporters. he also said it would be “harder” for the us to defend israel from attacks by hezbollah than it was during iran’s attack on israel in april, when almost all of the drones and missiles it launched were intercepted. his remarks came as israeli defence minister yoav gallant visited washington to discuss the next phase of the gaza war and hezbollah. before leaving, mr gallant said israel was “prepared for any action that may be required in gaza, lebanon, and in more areas”. last week, the idf confirmed that operational plans for an offensive against hezbollah had been approved and foreign minister israel katz warned that hezbollah would be destroyed “in an all out war”. hezbollah’s leader, hassan nasrallah, said it was not interested in a full scale conflict, but that if one breaks out “there will be no place safe” in israel. un secretary general antonio guterres said people in the region could “not afford lebanon to become another gaza”. "i don't know how to put it into words," says one of the hostages released from gaza last month. concerns were raised over the condition of freed israeli hostages and palestinian prisoners after the latest exchange. the in laws of eli sharabi say they are worried he may not know his wife and daughters have been killed. or levy, ohad ben ami and eli sharabi are returning home after being released in gaza on saturday. the men were all taken captive during the 7 october attacks and have been held in gaza for 16 months. copyright 2025 bbc. all rights reserved. the bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites. read about our approach to external linking.

follow: israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said sunday that the “intense phase of the war with hamas (in gaza) is about to end,” and that the military’s focus could then shift to israel’s northern border with lebanon, where fighting with the iran backed group hezbollah has intensified in recent weeks. netanyahu, however, vowed that israel would continue operating in gaza until the militant group hamas was eliminated. “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 in his first one on one interview with local israeli media since october 7. more than a million palestinians were taking shelter in rafah before israel started its air and ground operation in the southern gazan city, defying calls from the international community not to proceed. around 800,000 people have since been displaced from rafah, where conditions have been described by the united nations food agency as “apocalyptic.” the city’s border crossing with egypt   a vital entry point for humanitarian aid   has remained closed since the israeli military seized it early last month. and international pressure on israel’s actions in gaza have mounted since it started its operation in rafah. last month, the un’s top court ordered israel to immediately halt its controversial military operation there, calling the humanitarian situation “disastrous.” netanyahu also weighed in on the ongoing negotiations to end the war, saying he was ready to make “a partial deal” with hamas to return some hostages still being held captive in gaza, but reiterating his position that the war will still continue after a ceasefire “to achieve the goal of eliminating” hamas. “i’m not ready to give that up,” netanyahu said. netanyahu’s comments were at odds with the aims of a broader proposal outlined by us president joe biden last month. that plan, which the us has said is an israeli one, sets out conditions intended to lead to the eventual release of all remaining hostages, in return for a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of israeli forces. israeli opposition politician gadi eisenkot said netanyahu’s remarks about a “partial deal” contradicted the wishes of the country’s recently disbanded war cabinet, of which eisenkot was a member. “a deal in one step, the so called ‘all for all,’ or a complete deal in three steps. the cabinet voted unanimously on this. that’s why the prime minister’s statement about a partial deal is against the war cabinet’s decision,” eisenkot told the knesset foreign affairs committee on monday. “i think this requires clarification in light of the turmoil it causes to the families of the hostages.” eisenkot, who   along with centrist opposition figure benny gantz   resigned from the war cabinet the week before netanyahu dissolved it, said the remarks had damaged israel’s war objectives. “the damage is of course the failure to realize the goals of the war, and it is a fatal damage to the national strength of the state of israel,” he said. “there are soldiers who are fighting now because they have war goals to return the hostages and therefore i think that an immediate clarification by the prime minister is required as to what he meant.” related article netanyahu defends decision to go public with complaint about us weapons supplies in a short statement issued after his interview sunday, netanyahu’s office sought to clarify his comments, saying hamas opposes a deal, not israel. “prime minister netanyahu has made it clear that we will not leave gaza until we return all 120 of our hostages, living and deceased,” it said. seeking to row back his explosive comments even further, netanyahu on monday told the knesset: “we are committed to the israeli proposal that president biden welcomed. our position has not changed.” the hostages families forum headquarters condemned any suggestion of a withdrawal without securing the return of all hostages. “the end of the fighting in the gaza strip, without the release of the hostages, is an unprecedented national failure and a failure to meet the goals of the war,” the forum said in a statement on monday. the prime minister has faced nationwide protests in israel calling for a ceasefire in gaza and the return of all hostages. on saturday, families of the hostages took part in the ongoing anti government protests, including in tel aviv, jerusalem, herzliya, caesarea, raanana, be’er sheva, kiryat gat and the town of pardes hanna karkur. many protesters demanded the government accept the hostage release deal. cracks also appear to be deepening between the israeli government and its military. netanyahu has come under increasing pressure from members of his government and israel’s allies, including the united states, to devise a strategy for the post war governance of gaza after israel’s devastating bombardment of the isolated enclave. in response to the prime minister’s comments, hamas said the words used by netanyahu show that he is only looking for a partial agreement and not an end to the war in gaza. netanyahu’s positions are “a clear confirmation of his rejection of the recent security council resolution, and the proposals of us president joe biden,” hamas said in a statement. hamas continues to insist that any agreement include, “a clear affirmation of a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the gaza strip.” netanyahu also told channel 14 television that “after the end of the intense phase, we will have the possibility to shift some of the power north, and we will do it.” “first of all, for protection purposes, and secondly, to bring our residents home as well. if we can do it politically, that would be great. if not, we will do it in another way, but we will bring everyone back home   all the residents of the north and the south,” he added. hezbollah, an iran backed islamist movement with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the middle east, has been carrying out deadly attacks from southern lebanon targeting areas in northern israel since october 8, the day after the hamas attacks on israel. israel has responded to hezbollah’s attacks with strikes that have killed hezbollah militants, among them senior commanders. tens of thousands of israelis have been evacuated from their homes in northern israel due to ongoing conflict. villages across southern lebanon have also emptied. the increase in cross border attacks in recent weeks has intensified concerns about the possible outbreak of another full fledged conflict in the middle east. related article us offers assurances to israel this week in the event of full blown war with hezbollah israeli officials have told the us they were planning to shift resources from southern gaza to northern israel in preparation for a possible offensive against the group, us officials told cnn on wednesday. the implications of a wider war between israel and hezbollah could be devastating, a senior us official previously told cnn. us officials have serious concerns that in the event of a full blown war between israel and hezbollah, as the iran backed militant group could overwhelm israel’s air defenses in the north   including the much vaunted iron dome air defense system. netanyahu was also asked in the interview if his solution to ending the conflict with hezbollah was via agreement or war. the prime minister responded, “look, if there is an agreement, it will be an agreement according to our terms. our terms are not ending the war, leaving gaza, and leaving hamas intact. i refuse to leave hamas intact. we need to eliminate them.” israel launched its war in gaza following the hamas attacks of october 7, when militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. since then, the israeli campaign has killed more than 37,000 people, according to the ministry of health in gaza. this breaking news story has been updated. © 2025 cable news network. a warner bros. discovery company. all rights reserved. cnn sans ™ & © 2016 cable news network.
supported by benjamin netanyahu said the intensive phase of israel’s war with hamas “is about to end.” by daniel e. slotnik the intensive phase of israel’s war against hamas “is about to end,” prime minister benjamin netanyahu said yesterday, adding that he did not mean that the conflict was over. netanyahu’s remarks, in an interview on israeli television, were the latest suggestion by israeli officials that the war could soon change. israel’s defense minister, yoav gallant, said over the weekend that his meetings with biden administration officials this week would include discussion of “the transition to ‘phase c’ in gaza.” last october, gallant outlined a three part battle plan, beginning with a period of intense airstrikes against hamas targets and infrastructure, then a period of ground operations to eliminate pockets of resistance. the third phase, gallant said then, would be to create “a new security reality for the citizens of israel”   presumably by achieving israel’s stated goals of dismantling hamas’s military and governing capabilities in gaza. the israeli government has not proposed a clear plan for governing gaza after hamas, but in the interview netanyahu suggested involving local palestinians, possibly with help from moderate arab nations. the israeli military would maintain security control of the enclave. west bank: an influential israeli official said in a taped speech at a private event that the government was stealthily trying to cement control of the occupied area. and on saturday, a video of israeli troops tying a wounded palestinian to a military vehicle quickly went viral, prompting outrage and the promise of an investigation by israel’s military.

 follow: israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said monday the country’s military is nearing the “end of the stage of eliminating” hamas’ army in gaza. “i returned yesterday from a visit to the gaza division. i saw very considerable achievements in the fighting being carried in rafah. we are advancing to the end of the stage of eliminating the hamas terrorist army; we will continue striking its remnants,” netanyahu said, speaking to a group of mainly israeli and international military officials studying at the national security college. he again vowed that israel would achieve its goals in its war against hamas: returning hostages from gaza, eliminating hamas’ military and governing capabilities, ensuring that gaza will not constitute a threat against israel and also returning displaced israeli residents securely to their homes in both the south and the north. before launching a military operation in rafah in may, israeli leaders had maintained that the southern gaza city was the last stronghold of hamas. netanyahu said last month that the “intense phase of the war with hamas (in gaza) is about to end,” and that the military’s focus could then shift to israel’s northern border with lebanon. “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 on june 23.