US hasn’t destroyed al-Qaeda, PM says, because terror groups are hard to extinguish

Netanyahu says Israel has international support to hit Hamas again if needed.

“I think there’s a chance — I can’t say more than that — that Hamas will face up to the reality. They agreed a ceasefire on terms they didn’t want. If they starting firing again, we’ll hit them seven times harder.”

“I hope the goal of long-term quiet will be achieved,” he says. “We’re ready for all scenarios.

He says completely defeating terror organizations is difficult for democratic states; for example, the US hasn’t extinguished al-Qaeda, he says.

The prime minister says toppling Hamas is a goal that will be reached if it’s disarmed, under international supervision. He says the goal was to strike Hamas hard, not to reoccupy the coastal enclave.

Netanyahu says Hamas “intended to cause cataclysmic harm to us. But we hurt it.” He stresses again that Hamas agreed to a long-term ceasefire without getting any of its demands.