Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed his intention to eliminate the Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza, despite international efforts to organize a ceasefire.
In a short post on social media on Monday Netanyahu claimed Israeli forces had killed a top Hamas leader, and that it is just a matter of time before other group leaders meet the same fate.
“On the way to this victory, we already eliminated number four in Hamas. Three, two and one are on the way. They are all dead men, we will reach them all,” Netanyahu said in the 13-second video.
The ‘number four’ in Hamas that Netanyahu referred to is likely Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in an airstrike in the Lebanese capital, Beirut in early January. In his statement, the prime minister “apparently” confirmed that Israel was behind al-Arouri’s assassination, The Times of Israel newspaper wrote.
Netanyahu’s remarks come amid an investigation into the fate of Hamas’ number three, Marwan Issa, one of the key figures involved in the militant group’s attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Issa was targeted in an airstrike by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) over the weekend.
According to DPA news agency, Netanyahu spoke of ‘numbers one and two’ in reference to the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yehya al-Sinwar, and the head of the al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif.
Netanyahu’s comments came on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Egypt, Qatar, and the US tried to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas before Monday, and UN chief Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire during Ramadan.
The latest figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry indicate that more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October.