![Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech in Washington, D.C., United States on February 04, 2025. [Celal Güneş - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AA-20250205-36957803-36957795-DONALD_TRUMP_BENJAMIN_NETANYAHU_JOINT_PRESS_CONFERENCE_IN_WASHINGTON_DC.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his support for US President Donald Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, calling for its implementation.
He made his comment in a pre-recorded speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, in which he also stressed that Israel seeks to achieve “complete victory” in the war against the Palestinians in Gaza.
“When I talk about victory, I mean complete victory. This is our goal and we will not accept anything less than that,” he said, adding that Israel is working tirelessly to achieve its goals. These include “eliminating Hamas, returning Israeli prisoners, ensuring that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel in the future, and that Israeli settlers will return to their homes in the south and north settlements.”
Netanyahu claimed that 150,000 Palestinians have already left Gaza during the war. “Why don’t we give them the opportunity to leave? Why don’t we give them the freedom to choose where they will be?” He also claimed that Israel is “reshaping the Middle East face… despite internal and international opposition.”
AIPAC is the largest pro-Israel lobby group in the US. It spends millions of dollars annually on buying the support and loyalty of US politicians in Congress.
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