From the Liveblog of
Monday, September 29, 2025
Netanyahu: If Hamas rejects Trump’s plan, ‘then Israel will finish the job by itself’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that if Hamas rejects US President Donald Trump’s plan, “or if they supposedly accept it and then basically do everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job by itself.”
“This can be done the easy way or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done,” he promises. “We prefer the easy way, but it has to be done. All these goals must be achieved, because we didn’t fight this horrible fight, sacrifice the finest of our young men to have Hamas stay in Gaza and threaten us again and again and again with these horrific massacres.”
Netanyahu says a Palestinian state “would reward terrorists, undermine security, and endanger Israel’s very existence.”
He stresses that the Palestinian Authority can “have no role whatsoever in Gaza without undergoing a radical and genuine transformation.”
“That means ending “pay to slay,” changing the poisonous textbooks that teach hatred to Jews, to Palestinian children, stopping incitement in the media, ending lawfare against Israel at the ICC, the ICJ, recognizing the Jewish state, and many, many other reforms,” says Netanyahu.
He says that Trump’s plan “can be not only a new beginning for Gaza, I think it can be a new beginning for the entire region.”
He says that the Abraham Accords can be expanded and re-energized: “It’s not going to be easy. It’s tough going. But I think if we succeed, you’re absolutely right. We’re going to open possibilities that nobody even dreamed of.”
“Those who attack us pay a heavy price,” says Netanyahu. “But those who partner with us advance progress and security for their peoples.”
Turning to the phone call with his Qatari counterpart, Netanyahu says that he told him, “Israel was targeting terrorists. It wasn’t targeting Qatar. And of course, we regretted the loss of the Qatari citizen. It wasn’t our target.”
He adds that working out grievances with Qatar in the trilateral body announced by Trump “would be good for everyone. “
The Times of Israel Community.