Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disclosed to several US Congress members that victory in Gaza and getting Hamas' senior leadership in the besieged territory are just a "few weeks away."
"We've killed many senior leaders [of Hamas], including number four in Hamas, number three in Hamas. We'll get number two and number one. That's victory. Victory is within reach. It's a few weeks away," said Netanyahu when speaking to a bipartisan group from Congress on Wednesday.
Hosting the congressional delegation, organized by the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Jerusalem, Netanyahu stressed it is "very important to maintain bipartisan support" but "especially in these trying times."
According to CNN, Netanyahu justified that Israel "had no choice" but to move into Rafah as the country's "very existence is on the line."
Israel continues to face criticism internationally amid its relentless offensive on the southern Gaza City, where more than one million Palestinians are currently sheltering.
The prime minister also said that since the October 7 Hamas attack, Israel has reportedly enjoyed a "remarkable alignment" with the Biden administration despite sharing different perspectives on Israel's move into Rafah.
What Did Netanyahu Say About Rafah?
Netanyahu had earlier told the delegation that displaced Palestinians in Gaza could "just move" out of Rafah and "move with their tents."
"There's all of the Gaza Strip north of Rafah," Netanyahu said. "People move down, they can move up," the prime minister added. The comments follow five months of Israeli destruction and constant onslaught over the enclave.
As the humanitarian disaster continues to worsen, relations between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden are strained-- to say the least. Disagreements over the Rafah invasion have the leaders at a crossroads.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu canceled a scheduled government delegation to Washington in a sign of protest for the US abstention from a UN Security Council vote, which allowed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to pass.
The longtime, overdue resolution proposed by the ten non-permanent members of the Security Council demanded an immediate ceasefire for the holy month of Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and "the urgent need to expand the flow" of aid into Gaza.
In a series of meetings on Monday and Tuesday, senior US officials and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant did not reach any agreements on the Israeli invasion of Rafah. However, both sides agreed to continue the facilitation of discussions in the coming days and weeks, reported CNN.
The White House announced Wednesday that Netanyahu has agreed to reschedule the planned visit by the Israeli delegation to Washington to further talks on the Rafah operation.
