Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment within the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan.18, 2024.

Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

cover caption

toggle caption

Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment within the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, Jan.18, 2024.

Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected calls from the United States to cut back Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip or take steps towards the institution of a Palestinian state after the struggle, drawing a right away scolding from the White House.

The tense backwards and forwards mirrored what has turn into a large rift between the 2 allies over the scope of Israel’s struggle and its plans for the way forward for the beleaguered territory.

“We obviously see it differently,” White House nationwide safety spokesperson John Kirby mentioned.

Netanyahu spoke only a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned Israel would by no means have “genuine security” and not using a pathway towards Palestinian independence. Earlier this week, the White House additionally introduced that it was the “right time” for Israel to decrease the depth of its devastating army offensive in Gaza.

In a nationally televised information convention, Netanyahu struck a defiant tone, repeatedly saying that Israel wouldn’t halt its offensive till it realizes its targets of destroying Gaza’s Hamas militant group and bringing house all remaining hostages held by Hamas.

He rejected claims by a rising refrain of Israeli critics that these targets aren’t achievable, vowing to press forward for a lot of months. “We will not settle for anything short of an absolute victory,” Netanyahu mentioned.

Israel launched the offensive after an unprecedented cross-border assault by Hamas on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 folks and took some 250 others hostage. Roughly 130 hostages are believed by Israel to stay in Hamas captivity. The struggle has stoked tensions throughout the area, threatening to ignite different conflicts.

Israel’s assault, one of many deadliest and most damaging army campaigns in current historical past, has killed almost 25,000 Palestinians, in line with Gaza well being authorities, brought on widespread destruction and uprooted over 80% of the territory’s 2.3 million folks from their houses.

The staggering value of the struggle has led to rising calls from the worldwide group to halt the offensive. After initially giving Israel wall-to-wall assist within the early days of the struggle, the United States, Israel’s closest ally, has begun to precise misgivings and urged Netanyahu to spell out his imaginative and prescient for postwar Gaza.

The United States has mentioned the internationally acknowledged Palestinian Authority, which governs semi-autonomous zones within the Israeli-occupied West Bank, must be “revitalized” and return to Gaza. Hamas ousted the authority from Gaza in 2007.

The U.S. has additionally known as for steps towards the institution of a Palestinian state. The Palestinians search Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem for his or her state. Those areas have been captured by Israel in 1967.

Speaking Wednesday on the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Blinken mentioned the two-state resolution was one of the best ways to guard Israel, unify reasonable Arab nations and isolate Israel’s arch-enemy, Iran.

Without a “pathway to a Palestinian state,” he mentioned, Israel wouldn’t “get genuine security.”

At the identical convention, Saudi Arabia’s overseas minister mentioned the dominion is able to set up full relations with Israel as half of a bigger political settlement. “But that can only happen through peace for the Palestinians, through a Palestinian state,” he mentioned.

Netanyahu, who leads a far-right authorities against Palestinian statehood, repeated his longstanding opposition to a two-state resolution. He mentioned a Palestinian state would turn into a launching pad for assaults on Israel.

He mentioned Israel “must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River,” including: “That collides with the idea of sovereignty. What can we do?”

“This truth I tell to our American friends, and I put the brakes on the attempt to coerce us to a reality that would endanger the state of Israel,” he mentioned.

Demonstrators maintain orange balloons at a rally in solidarity with Kfir Bibas, an Israeli boy who spent his first birthday Thursday in Hamas captivity within the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.

Oded Balilty/AP

cover caption

toggle caption

Oded Balilty/AP

Demonstrators maintain orange balloons at a rally in solidarity with Kfir Bibas, an Israeli boy who spent his first birthday Thursday in Hamas captivity within the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.

Oded Balilty/AP

The feedback prompted a right away rebuke from the White House. Kirby mentioned that President Joe Biden would “not stop working” towards a two-state resolution.

Before Oct. 7, Israeli society was bitterly divided over Netanyahu’s plan for a judicial overhaul. Since the assault, the nation has rallied behind the struggle. But divisions have as soon as once more begun to floor over Netanyahu’s dealing with of the struggle.

Families of the hostages and their many supporters have known as for a brand new cease-fire that might convey them house. Hamas launched over 100 hostages in change for Palestinian prisoners throughout a weeklong cease-fire in November.

Dozens of individuals attended a somber gathering in Tel Aviv in solidarity with the household of Kfir Bibas, the youngest Israeli hostage, marking his first birthday. The red-haired toddler and his 4-year-old brother Ariel have been taken hostage together with their mom, Shiri, and their father, Yarden. All 4 stay in captivity.

Commentators have begun to query whether or not Netanyahu’s aims are practical, given the gradual tempo of the offensive and rising worldwide criticism, together with genocide accusations on the United Nations world court docket, which Israel vehemently denies.

Netanyahu’s opponents accuse him of delaying any dialogue of postwar eventualities to keep away from looming investigations of governmental failures, preserve his coalition intact and postpone elections. Polls present that the recognition of Netanyahu, who’s on trial for corruption prices, has plummeted through the struggle.

Medicines certain for hostages enter Gaza

There was no phrase Thursday on whether or not medicines that entered the territory as a part of a deal brokered by France and Qatar had been distributed to dozens hostages with power diseases who’re being held by Hamas.

The settlement was the primary to be brokered between the warring sides since November. The deal consists of giant shipments of medication, meals and humanitarian assist for Palestinian civilians as effectively.

Qatar confirmed late Wednesday that the drugs had entered Gaza, however it was not but clear if it had been distributed to the hostages, who’re being held in secret areas, together with underground bunkers.

The International Committee for the Red Cross, which helped facilitate the hostage releases, mentioned it was not concerned in distributing the drugs.

Fighting in Gaza

Hamas has continued to battle again throughout Gaza, even in probably the most devastated areas, and launch rockets into Israel. It says it is not going to launch any extra hostages till there’s a everlasting cease-fire, one thing Israel and the United States, its high ally, have dominated out.

Hundreds of 1000’s of Palestinians have heeded Israeli evacuation orders and packed into southern Gaza, the place shelters run by the United Nations are overflowing and large tent camps have gone up.

A Palestinian girl flashes a V-sign towards Israeli troops throughout a military raid within the Tulkarem refugee camp, West Bank, Wednesday, Jan.17, 2024.

Nasser Nasser/AP

cover caption

toggle caption

Nasser Nasser/AP

A Palestinian girl flashes a V-sign towards Israeli troops throughout a military raid within the Tulkarem refugee camp, West Bank, Wednesday, Jan.17, 2024.

Nasser Nasser/AP

Israel has continued to strike what it says are militant targets in all components of Gaza, typically killing girls and youngsters. Early Thursday, medics mentioned an Israeli airstrike on a house killed 16 folks, half of them kids, within the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Israel blames the excessive civilian demise toll on Hamas as a result of it fights in dense residential areas. Israel says its forces have killed roughly 9,000 militants, with out offering proof, and that 193 of its personal troopers have been killed because the Gaza floor offensive started.

On Thursday, the Israeli military mentioned it had destroyed “the heart” of Hamas’ weapons manufacturing trade close to a serious north-south highway in central Gaza. It mentioned the advanced included weapons factories and an in depth tunnel community used to ship arms all through Gaza.

War reverberates throughout the area

The struggle has rippled throughout the Middle East, with Iranian-backed teams attacking U.S. and Israeli targets. Low-intensity combating between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon threatens to erupt into all-out struggle, and Houthi rebels in Yemen proceed to focus on worldwide transport regardless of United States-led airstrikes.

The Israeli army mentioned it fired an interceptor at a “suspicious aerial target” — possible a drone or missile — approaching over the Red Sea on Thursday, triggering air raid sirens within the southern metropolis of Eilat. The Houthis have launched drones and missiles towards Israel that largely fell brief or have been intercepted and shot down.

Meanwhile, Iran has launched a sequence of missile assaults focusing on what it described as an Israeli spy base in Iraq and militant bases in Syria.