"I want to make a few points absolutely clear: Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population," he stated.
“Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law. The IDF is doing its utmost to minimize civilian casualties, while Hamas is doing its utmost to maximize them by using Palestinian civilians as human shields,” added Netanyahu.
“The IDF urges Palestinian civilians to leave war zones by disseminating leaflets, making phone calls, providing safe passage corridors, while Hamas prevents Palestinians from leaving at gunpoint and often, with gunfire,” said the Prime Minister.
“Our goal is to rid Gaza of Hamas terrorists and free our hostages. Once this is achieved Gaza can be demilitarized and deradicalized, thereby creating a possibility for a better future for Israel and Palestinians alike," he concluded.
The video statement comes a day before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is scheduled to convene to hear South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.
The South African government announced on Tuesday that its delegation will be joined by senior political figures “from progressive political parties and movements across the globe”, including former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak has been selected as the Israeli-appointed judge to sit on the panel of judges at the hearing.