In an exclusive interview with One America News (OAN), Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu spoke at length about the U.S.-Israel relationship and the ongoing war in Gaza, emphasizing that Israel is battling on two critical fronts — against Hamas militarily and against widespread disinformation in the global media.
Netanyahu stressed that “another great casualty of this war is the truth,” pointing to what he described as biased reporting and false narratives that misrepresent Israel’s actions and intentions.
During the interview with OAN anchor Stella Escobedo, the Prime Minister reiterated that the war cannot conclude until all hostages are freed, stating that Israel will only agree to a deal that secures the release of every single captive. “We’re considering anything that will get 50 hostages, at least 20 alive ones and up to 30 dead ones, back,” Netanyahu said.
He further explained that, despite Israel delivering more than two million tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza, Hamas continues to hold hostages in horrific conditions. Netanyahu accused the terrorist organization of subjecting them to “brutally tortured and starved” treatment, underscoring his position with a pointed remark: “The only policy of deliberate starvation in Gaza, contrary to the lies that are spread against Israel, is that the Hamas murderers starve our hostages.”
The Prime Minister made clear that Israel’s mission to dismantle Hamas remains unchanged. However, he added that if Hamas were to free every remaining hostage and surrender its weapons, Gaza could ultimately look forward to a more hopeful and stable future.
Netanyahu also addressed how Hamas exploits Israel’s humanitarian policy of warning civilians ahead of strikes, using those warnings to reposition and repeatedly hiding behind innocent Palestinians, effectively deploying them as “human shields.”
The conversation also touched on Netanyahu’s close partnership with President Donald Trump, whom he praised as an “extraordinary leader” and “extraordinarily valiant and wise.”
President Trump recently described both himself and Netanyahu as “wartime heroes” for their roles in addressing threats against Israel. Responding to the compliment, Netanyahu said, “That’s very kind of him,” and highlighted their collaboration in countering regional dangers. “President Trump took the right action, joined us in opposing this common enemy that wanted to develop atomic weapons and ballistic missiles to be able to deliver them deep into Europe and ultimately into the United States.”
Netanyahu also remarked that Trump had disregarded the “nonsense” warnings claiming he would be “dragged by Netanyahu into WWIII,” emphasizing that those fears have since been proven baseless. “All free people should thank President Trump for his leadership,” Netanyahu added.
He further criticized the mainstream press for promoting distorted narratives, singling out The New York Times for repeatedly publishing inaccurate reports. Netanyahu referenced a specific case involving a story that falsely claimed a Gazan child’s malnutrition was caused by Israeli policies. The outlet later corrected the report, clarifying that the child’s condition was due to cerebral palsy and a genetic disorder.
When asked if he planned to sue The New York Times, Netanyahu responded that legal action remains under consideration. Concluding the interview, he reflected on his resolve, saying he pushes past criticism by reminding himself, “if we don’t fight, we die.”
“There is no substitute for victory and we will win this war,” he declared.
{Matzav.com}
