Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his country's military campaign in the Gaza Strip over the past two years, crediting it with securing the release of all Israeli hostages who remained alive.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas took 250 hostages during its attacks on Israel October 7, 2023, and killed around 1,200 more, prompting a retaliatory assault on Gaza which has left the enclave in ruins.
"We've been able to do two things," said Netanyahu on Wednesday during a televised news conference. "Put the knife up to Hamas' throat. That was the military effort guided by Israel. And the other effort was to isolate Hamas and the Arab and Muslim world, which I think [US President Donald Trump] did brilliantly with his team. So those two things produced the hostages."
However, Netanyahu has faced criticism from some domestic opponents for accepting the US-brokered ceasefire with Hamas seemingly not having been entirely defeated.
Since last week's ceasefire, the Islamist group has deployed thousands of armed security personnel to the streets of Gaza in an attempt to reestablish its grip on the territory.
