Netanyahu asks ‘friends’ in international community: ‘Did you already forget Oct 7?’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (Mar 17) slammed the international community for their stand against the war and also trying to stop the war now before Israel "achieves" all of its goals.

Netanyahu's remarks came after last week US Senator Chuck Schumer called for elections in Israel and said that the prime minister is a major obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

Amid international pressure over war, especially for a ceasefire during the festive period of Ramadan, Netanyahu asked the world, "Did you already forget October 7?"

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At the start of his cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, "To our friends in the international community I say: Is your memory so short? So quickly you forgot about October7, the worst massacre committed against Jews since the Holocaust?"

"So quickly you are ready to deny Israel the right to defend itself against the monsters of Hamas?," he added.

In response to Senator Chuck Schumer’s call for his replacement, Netanyahu saidthat the Jewish legislator is not “opposing me, he’s opposing the people of Israel” andcalled Schumer’s speech “totally inappropriate.”

“You don’t do that to a sister democracy,” says Netanyahu. Netanyahu insists that Israel is doing everything it can to allow aid into Gaza, but the “problem is that once trucks get in, they’re looted by Hamas and gangs.”

On October 7, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures. Hamas had also taken some 250 people hostage. Some of them were later returned as part of a deal in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli government responded with the launch of 'Operation Swords of Iron' and responded with strikes and ground incursions on Gaza that have killed more than 30,000 people, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Recalling the terrors of October 7, Netanyahu said at a government meeting in Jerusalem that "since the beginning of the war, we are fighting on two fronts – the military front and the diplomatic front."

"It's no secret that international pressure against us is increasing," he said, further adding that Israel "must not give in to this pressure".

Watch: Gaza ceasefire hopes rise after Hamas abandons key demands

He added that some in the international community are trying to stop the war "by making false accusations against the IDF, against the Israeli government and against the prime minister of Israel."

Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would push on with its offensive in Gaza, including in the city of Rafah, while evacuating civilians from combat zones.

He said that in order to "fight" till the end, Israel will operate in Rafah: "It's the only way to eliminate what remains of Hamas' legions of murderers, and the only way to exert military pressure required to bring about the release of our loved ones."

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)