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Netanyahu had ‘very warm’ phone call with ‘friend’ Trump; Discussed Gaza war, Syria
The leaders discussed the war in Gaza, the need to bring back Israeli hostages home and Israel's stance on the ongoing situation in Syria.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday confirmed that he had a "very warm" phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump, saying that they discussed the war in Gaza and Israel's stance on Syria.
Issuing a video statement, Netanyahu said he and Trump spoke about a vast range of issues during their phone call on Saturday evening, wherein he reaffirmed Israel's commitment to preventing the re-strengthening of Lebanon-based outfit Hezbollah and his country's conflict with Hamas.
Hamas on October 7, 2023, launched an unprecedented offensive against Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking more than 250 as hostages. It is believed that around 100 of them are still being held in Gaza.
Meanwhile, in Israel's hit back at Hamas in Gaza, more than 45,000 Palestinians have lost their lives.
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The Israeli PM further said that they also discussed about the need to bring back home the remaining hostages from Gaza. "I discussed all of this again last night with my friend, US President-elect Donald Trump," CNN quoted him as saying.
Netanyahu added, "It was a very friendly, very warm and very important conversation. We spoke about the need to complete Israel's victory and we also spoke at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages."
He also affirmed that Israel continues to tirelessly towards bringing the hostages home, both the living and the dead. "And I add, the less we talk about it, the better, and so with God's help, we will succeed," he added.
'No interest' in Syria's conflict
Netanyahu said that Israel has "no interest" in another country's conflict but, he would adjust the policy as per the ground reality.
Syria witnessed the fall of the 24-year-long rule of President Bashar al-Assad at the hands of rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Damascus and the majority part of the country was taken over by rebels last week, resulting in the ouster of Assad. Syrians were seen rejoicing the end of the alleged brutal and tyrant rule of the president.
Notably, after Assad regime's fall in Damascus, Israeli forces took control of a long-standing buffer zone that has been separating Israeli and Syrian forces for decades. This move, however, has not been taken in a good way by the Syrian rebels and some of the country's neighbours, CNN reported.
Israel has clarified that this is a temporary measure, with Netanyahu's previous statement affirmed that his country has "no intention" of intervening in Syria's internal matters.
But in his Sunday statement, Netanyahu said that Syria "had allowed Iran to arm Hezbollah through its territory", reiterating Israel's firmness in preventing the militant group from rearming itself.
"This is an ongoing test for Israel, we must meet it, and we will meet it. I say to Hezbollah and Iran in no uncertain terms, to prevent you from harming us, we will continue to act against you as much as necessary, in every area and at any time," he said.
Earlier in November, Israel and Hezbollah had reached a ceasefire deal after a 13-month long tussle fought along the former's border with Lebanon which left a string of high-level commanders of the outfit dead.
Golan Heights plan
Notably, ever since Syria's control came into the hands of the rebels, Israel has reportedly launched several hundreds of airstrikes across Syria and even carried out a land incursion that goes part the occupied Golan Heights.
The tensions from the disapproval for this, which Israel insists on being a temporary plan, further grows with Netanyahu approving a plan to expand settlements in the Golan Heights, CNN reported.
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"In light of the war and the new front against Syria, and out of a desire to double the population of the Golan Heights, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted for government approval the first amendment to the plan to encourage demographic growth in the Golan Heights and Katzrin Heights," the statement from the Israeli PM's office read. Katzrin is an Israeli settlement in Golan.
According to the statement, Netanyahu said that the empowering Golan Heights means empowering Israel, "especially important at this time". "We will continue to hold on to it, make it flourish, and settle it," Netanyahu added.
