(CNN) 鈥� Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday refused to answer whether he would take responsibility for failing to prevent the聽, saying that there would be time for such 鈥渄ifficult鈥� questions once the war is over.
In an interview with CNN鈥檚 Dana Bash, Netanyahu acknowledged that it is 鈥渁 question that needs to be asked,鈥� but that the country for now needs to unite around the goal of defeating Hamas 鈥� the militant group that controls Gaza and launched the assault on Israel.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to answer all these questions,鈥� the prime minister said, adding that, 鈥淩ight now, I think what we have to do is unite the country for one purpose; to achieve victory.鈥�
鈥淟et鈥檚 focus on victory 鈥� that鈥檚 my responsibility now.鈥�
Netanyahu has been criticized for failing to anticipate the deadliest attack on Israel since the country鈥檚 founding in 1948, when Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages last month, according to Israeli authorities.
During a Saturday demonstration in Tel Aviv, families of hostages held by the militant group in Gaza called on Netanyahu and the government to do more to secure the release of their loved ones.
The prime minister told CNN Sunday that Israel is doing all it can 鈥渁round the clock鈥� to release the hostages, saying it is one of his two war goals, along with the destruction of Hamas.
He also reiterated his stance regarding international calls for a ceasefire,聽saying the only halt in fighting he would accept is 鈥渙ne in which we have our hostages released.鈥�
For days, tens of thousands of Gazans have fled to the south of the enclave using temporary evacuation corridors.聽Asked if he would allow days-long pauses, Netanyahu told CNN, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 not a pause.鈥�
鈥淚f you鈥檙e talking about stopping the fighting, that鈥檚 exactly what Hamas wants,鈥� Netanyahu said, arguing that Hamas would use those extended pauses to replenish its supplies.
鈥淗amas wants an endless series of pauses that basically dissipate the battle against them,鈥� he said.
鈥楴o reason why we can鈥檛 just take the patients out of there鈥�
Since the October 7 attacks, Israel has been bombarding Gaza, killing at least 11,025 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, which draws figures from the Hamas-controlled territory.
This toll includes 4,506 children and 3,027 women, according to the ministry, which said that over 27,000 other individuals have sustained injuries.
Asked about hospitals in Gaza that health officials and aid agencies say are suffering a 鈥�,鈥� as聽Israel鈥檚 ground offensive moves forward in northern Gaza,聽Netanyahu told CNN that Israel is helping patients by establishing safe corridors on the ground, but insisted that 鈥渘o immunity鈥� will be given to Hamas.
鈥淲e have designated routes to a safe zone south of Gaza City,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want all civilians to be moved out of harm鈥檚 way.鈥�
Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the civilian casualties and said that 鈥�100 or so鈥� have already been evacuated from Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza鈥檚 largest healthcare facility. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no reason why we can鈥檛 just take the patients out of there,鈥� he said.
CNN cannot verify those claims. Israel earlier on Sunday announced a corridor near Al-Shifa Hospital, but the International Committee of the Red Cross said it could not confirm if any evacuations had taken place.
Palestinian authorities in Gaza and the West Bank claimed the Israeli military had fired at people who moved between hospital buildings 鈥� an allegation the Israeli military has denied.
Post-war Gaza
With fighting raging, it remains a major open question about who will run post-war Gaza.
聽suggested that the Palestinian Authority 鈥� which exercises limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank 鈥� could play a role.
Netanyahu聽said Israel鈥檚 security role in a post-war Gaza would be an聽鈥渙ver-riding, over-reaching military envelope,鈥� but did not explain what that meant.
It would be accompanied by 鈥渁 reconstructed civilian authority 鈥� some kind of civilian Palestinian Authority鈥澛爄n control of Gaza that is 鈥渨illing to fight the terrorists鈥� and educate children for a 鈥渇uture of peace, cooperation, prosperity, cooperation with Israel,鈥� and 鈥渘ot the annihilation of Israel.鈥�
鈥淪o far, that hasn鈥檛 happened,鈥� he added.
鈥淭here has to be something else. Otherwise we鈥檙e just falling into that same rabbit hole and we鈥檙e going to have the same result. Remember the PA [Palestinian Authority] was already in Gaza,鈥� Netanyahu continued.
The PA used to run both Gaza and the West Bank but was ousted after a brief civil war with Hamas.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & 漏 2023 Cable 草莓传媒 Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
