New Delhi: Soon after Israel and Palestine agreed upon a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said that Israel did not initiate the conflict.
Netanyahu said his country achieved all objectives in Gaza, while Hamas also claimed victory for Palestinians.
In his remark at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said, "Israel didn’t initiate this conflict. We were attacked in an unprovoked manner by the Hamas terrorist organization that fired four thousand rockets into our capital and our cities. No country will sit aside when it’s attacked in such a criminal fashion. Israel is no different".
“But we did do something different. We were fighting terrorists who are hiding among civilians in one of the most densely populated places on earth", PM Netanyahu added in his remarks.
Accusing Hamas of firing rockets on Israeli civilians while using their civilians as human shields, Netanyahu said, "We did everything in our power to prevent civilian casualties, unnecessary casualties of non-combatants while trying to attack the combatants who are trying to murder our citizens.
"We regret every loss of life, but I can tell you categorically, no army in the world acts more morally than the army of Israel", added the Prime Minister
Further, the Prime Minister thanked US President Joe Biden, for his stand for Israel throughout the conflict.
He expressed clearly, unreservedly, America’s support for Israel’s right of self-defence. And I am also grateful to President Biden for offering to help replenish our stocks of missile interceptors, PM Netanyahu said.
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"That’s so important to save Israeli lives, and coincidentally, Palestinian lives. Without Iron Dome, we would have had to have a ground invasion of Gaza to stop them from firing their missiles and the casualty list would have soared to stratospheric heights", he added.
He later thanked the international community as they stood in support of Israel.
"They know how to distinguish so clearly between a democracy that cherishes life and a terrorist organization that glorifies death. I think that distinction and that support is crucial for our common future", says the Israelian Prime Minister.
The International community has been pushing for an immediate ceasefire of the conflict.US President Joe Biden had spoken to Israel's PM Netanyahu six times in recent days, asking for an immediate de-escalation.
Meanwhile, India at the UNSC meeting urged both sides to show extreme restraint, desist from actions that exacerbate tensions, and refrain from attempts to unilaterally change the existing status quo, including in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhood.
Gaza health officials said 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, had been killed and more than 1,900 wounded in aerial bombardments. Israel said it had killed at least 160 combatants.
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