Further videos show the Israeli Air Force holding its fire for fear of harming civilians.
He also shows footage of what he says is mortar fire from near an UNRWA elementary school for boys. He describes a terror tunnel near a school, and many tunnels dug from homes. He speaks of Hamas “death squads” that were intended to use the tunnels to infiltrate Israel and kill and kidnap Israeli civilians.
“I think it’s very important for the truth to come out,” he says.
Netanyahu offers condolences to the Palestinian citizens harmed or killed during the operation.
“Israel deeply regrets every civilian casualty, every single one. We do not target them. People of Gaza are not our enemies. Our enemy is Hamas,” the prime minister says.
He compares Hamas to al-Qaeda and Boko Haram, and ISIS. “Hamas wants civilian casualties. They pretty much say so,” says Netanyahu. Hamas “uses and sacrifices” civilians as human shields.
— Raphael Ahren
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