Netanyahu warns of ‘long war’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “long war” between his country and Hamas as violence continues to engulf the region. 

Netanyahu spoke alongside British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday, where he thanked the United Kingdom, the U.S. and other allies of Israel for supporting the nation in its war against the militant group Hamas. He reiterated that Israel will continue to need the U.K.’s support as it battles Hamas, which the U.S. and other countries have categorized as a terrorist organization.

“Eighty years ago, Prime Minister, the civilized world stood with you in your darkest hour. This is our darkest hour. It’s the world’s darkest hour,” Netanyahu said to Sunak.

“I value your support and the fact that you’re here, we must win together. That means that this is a long war, then we’ll need your continuous support, continuous support. There’ll be ups and downs. There’ll be difficulties. The people here are united; they’re prepared to take the necessary action,” he said.

Netanyahu repeated previous statements labeling Hamas as the “new Nazis” adding the organization is “worse than ISIS.” He also praised Sunak for sending military forces into the region to aid in Israel’s efforts against Hamas.

“This is not merely our battle, it’s the battle of the entire civilized world. It’s the battle of Israel. It’s a battle of the modern Arab countries. It’s the battle of Western civilization, the battle of the free world, the battle for the future,” Netanyahu said.

Sunak said he was “proud to stand with you in Israel’s darkest hour as your friend” in his remarks following Netanyahu’s.

More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the fighting so far, with most of the deaths coming as a result of the initial attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. This prompted Israel to declare war on Hamas.

Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry has said that 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 12,500 others have been wounded.

Sunak’s visit to Israel comes on the heels of President Biden’s, who had traveled to the region to meet Wednesday with Netanyahu to demonstrate U.S. support for the Middle Eastern nation.