"Since the beginning of the war, we have been fighting on two fronts - the military front and the political front," Netanyahu began, adding that "on the political front, we have so far managed to allow our forces to fight in an unprecedented manner for five full months. But it is no secret that the international pressure against us is increasing."
He added that "there are those in the international community who are trying to stop the war now, before all of its goals are achieved. They do this by hurling false accusations against the IDF, against the Israeli government, and against the Prime Minister of Israel. They do this by trying to bring about elections now, in the midst of the war. And they do this because they know that elections now will stop the war, and paralyze the country for at least six months."
"So let's be clear: if we stop the war now, before all of its goals are achieved, it means that Israel has lost the war, and we will not allow that. Therefore, we must not give in to these pressures, and we will not give in to them," he said. "No international pressure will stop us from realizing all the goals of the war: eliminating Hamas, freeing all our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat against Israel."
He stated that "in order to do this, we will also operate in Rafah. This is the only way to eliminate the rest of the murderous battalions of Hamas, and this is the only way to exert the military pressure necessary to release all our hostages."
"To this end, we have approved the operational plans for the operation in Rafah, including the promotion of the steps to evacuate the civilian population from the battle zones. This is a necessary step towards the military operation," he said.
"I repeat - we will act in Rafah. It will take a few weeks, and it will happen," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu also conveyed a message to the world: "To our friends in the international community I say: Is your memory so short? So quickly did you forget October 7, the most terrible massacre committed against Jews since the Holocaust? So quickly are you ready to deny Israel the right to defend itself against the monsters of Hamas? Did you lose your moral conscience so quickly?"
"Instead of putting pressure on Israel, which is fighting the most just war, against the cruelest of enemies, direct your pressure against Hamas and its patron - Iran. They are the ones who pose a danger to the region and the entire world." Netanyahu said.
