Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Joe Biden in a phone call, Saturday night. Netanyahu updated the US leader on recent developments and actions Israel had taken and planned to take in the recent round of fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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Biden was the one to initiate the call, which was lengthy and extensive. Netanyahu thanked the president for his unwavering support for Israel to defend itself and emphasized the Jewish state was doing everything in its power to avoid harm to civilians. He noted the residential towers taken out by Israeli Air Force strikes had housed terrorist targets and civilians had been evacuated from the buildings prior to the attacks.
In what was their first conversation since Biden took office, the US leader also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Saturday. According to the Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh, the two discussed recent developments in the region.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his support for Israel's right to defend itself in a conversation with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Saturday. Gantz thanked Lloyd for the US administration's support and emphasized Israel was doing everything it could to avoid harming innocent civilians. He said Israel's objective was to restore quiet in the long-term from Hamas, which for its part, was targeting population centers inside Israel.
He said, "Five days ago, the Hamas terrorist organization fired at the Israeli capital, the results of which its senior officials and unfortunately Gaza's residents are experiencing full well. Infrastructure Hamas saw as defensive collapse overnight."
"Tunnels were destroyed, launchers collapsed, and hiding places of senior Hamas officials were targeted for attack. I want to emphasize: The IDF is fighting with all its force and using trickery and means that are surprising the terrorist organizations," he said.
Gantz continued: "The State of Israel has the right and obligation to defend its citizens, and no country in the world would accept rocket fire toward its citizens. And I thank all of the leaders of countries that expressed support for Israel. I regret that there are countries and organizations that do not understand the reality as it is and instead of pressuring Hamas to stop firing, ignore its war crimes and put pressure on Israel … While the IDF targets and hits military targets, Hamas targets citizens and hides behind its own."
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