Israel ‘Will Stand Alone’, Says Netanyahu As Biden Warns To Halt US Weapons

Tel Aviv: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s stand on Hamas and stated that if “forced,” Israel will “stand alone” in its war against the militant group. He made the statement rejecting international pressure to halt the war in Gaza. His statement came after United States President Joe Biden said that America would not provide offensive weapons for Israel’s long-promised assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

“As the Prime Minister of Israel, the one and only Jewish State, I pledge here today, from Jerusalem, on this Holocaust Remembrance Day, if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. But we know we are not alone, because countless decent people around the world support our just cause. And I say to you we will defeat our genocidal enemies,” Netanyahu said on Thursday.

The Israeli PM said that when Jewish people were defenceless 80 years ago, no nation came for their help.

“Eighty years ago, in the Holocaust, the Jewish people were totally defenceless against those who sought our destruction. No nation came to our aid, ” Israeli PM said in a fiery speech marking the country’s annual Holocaust memorial day.

“Today, we again confront enemies bent on our destruction. I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself,” he said.

Netanyahu added, “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails.”

Yom Hashoah, the day Israel observes as a memorial for the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and its allies in the Holocaust.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel has since, characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.

On the 5th of May, Rafah’s vicinity was the launching site for a series of rocket attacks by Hamas targeting Kerem Shalom, where Palestinians, who had been uprooted, were sheltering in tents. This heart-wrenching event led to the demise of four brave soldiers. Kerem Shalom, known for its large-scale support of daily humanitarian aid truck operations, was forced to close its doors in the wake of the attack.

The strategic seizure of the border crossing by Hamas made it possible to intercept aid supplies hailed from Egypt. In recent days, residents of certain Rafah neighbourhoods received phone calls, SMS messages, air-dropped flyers, and media broadcasts instructing them to evacuate to expanded humanitarian zones in Khan Yunis and the coastal area of Al-Mawasi.

The flyers included maps showing the affected zones, and aid organisations were updated on the evacuation plans.

At least 1,200 people were gunned down and 240 were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israel near the Gaza border on October 7. As many as 30 of the remaining 133 hostages are believed dead.