Netanyahu says Israel needs precision weapons ‘to avoid civilian casualties’
Israeli Prime Minister discussed President Biden’s vow to withhold weapons during an interview with Dr. Phil.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a new interview that President Biden’s vow to withhold weapons from Israel will result in civilian casualties inside Gaza because the Jewish State will be forced to use weapons that aren’t as precise.
"We are doing everything we can to let the people leave, with amazing efforts. But, I think also that this is precision — precision weapons. So, in fact, if you want to avoid civilian casualties, you need these weapons, rather than imprecise weaponry," Netanyahu told Dr. Phil after noting that Hamas terrorists hide in population centers.
Biden recently said he would not release weapons to Israel if it moved forward with its invasion of Rafah, which is Hamas' last stronghold in Gaza. Israel has taken military action in Rafah, but according to Biden, they have yet to cross his red line in entering "population centers."
BIDEN VOWS TO WITHHOLD WEAPONS FROM ISRAEL IF NETANYAHU GOES FORWARD WITH RAFAH INVASION
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that President Biden’s vow to withhold weapons from Israel will result in civilian casualties inside Gaza ((Fox News/Getty Images))
Netanyahu has vowed to follow through with the eradication of Hamas — even if it loses Israel its allies.
"I’ve known Joe Biden for many years, 40 years and more. You know, we often had our agreements but we’ve had our disagreements. We’ve been able to overcome them, I hope we can overcome them now," Netanyahu said.
"But we will do what we have to do to protect our country … to protect our future," Netanyahu continued during the interview with Dr. Phil. "And that means we will defeat Hamas, including in Rafah. We have no other choice."
BIDEN WARNS NETANYAHU AGAINST RAFAH INVASION AS ISRAEL PREPARES FOR ACTION
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to follow through with the eradication of Hamas . (REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool/File Photo)
Many Palestinians have set up tent cities and temporary shanty towns outside Rafah as the conflict intensifies. The Israeli government's determination to enter Rafah is unpopular with Western powers, which have repeatedly urged it to avoid the operation due to the potential loss of civilian lives.
"Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an interview that aired Wednesday.
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"I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem," Biden said.
The withheld shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, a senior U.S. administration official told the Associated Press.
Anti-Israel protests have erupted across America, particularly on college campuses, where chants like "Genocide Joe" are often heard.
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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn, Danielle Wallace, and Tomithy H.J. Herozzi contributed to this report.