Benjamin Netanyahu hits back at “Hamas lies” and says Israel has “no choice but to finish the job” as he defends Israel’s plan to expand its offensive in Gaza. The UN Security Council has also called an emergency meeting on Gaza today. Follow the latest below.
Sunday 10 August 2025 15:16, UK
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International correspondent Diana Magnay is putting two questions to Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Given what the IPC says is the unfolding spectre of famine in the Gaza Strip, would you accept that your 11-week, complete blockade on Gaza played a role in that?
“And given the killings that we have seen at the GHF aid sites, how will you guarantee that that kind of disaster will not happen when you have a million more displaced?”
Benjamin Netanyahu says the problem was that Hamas was looting aid.
He says Israel’s attempt to stop aid trucks and bring them through GHF distribution points “wasn’t successful” due to Hamas.
“I don’t know of a country that texts millions of messages to civilians to get out of harms way,” he says.
He says there are hundreds of trucks entering Gaza to relieve “deprivation”.
Netanyahu claims the price of food is plummeting due to Israel’s “humanitarian surge”
Netanyahu is next asked about specifics of the “non-Israeli civilian administration” he spoke about earlier – see our 14.42 post for more.
He claims there are “several candidates” to help with it.
However, the Israeli prime minister refuses to name any of them.
“There are candidates I don’t want to, I don’t want to spoil the chances of succeeding here because I think [they’re] real but they’re real providing we finish the job,” he says.
He spoke about the Lebanese government and “some of the Arab countries”.
“I think this is the starting point,” he says.
“There are several candidates… and it’s a transitional period, it’s a transitional authority. It’s going to be there because we don’t want to, contrary to what I said, we want a security belt, but right next to our border. But we don’t want to stay in Gaza,” Netanyahu says during the news conference.
But he repeats his oft-heard message that peace can only be achieved if “we finish Hamas”.
Benjamin Netanyahu is answering questions at a news conference.
Asked if Israel is proceeding with the belief that it can rescue the remaining living hostages, he says his goal is to do so.
“If we don’t do anything, we’re not going to get them out,” says Netanyahu.
“We are talking about how to get the remaining hostages [out] alive as we close in on Hamas.
“I think there are various ways, creative ways, on how this can be done.”
We’re moving on to questions now.
Netanyahu is asked about the possibility of letting foreign press into Gaza.
He says that “more foreign journalists” are going to be let into Gaza.
“We have decided and I’ve ordered and directed the military to bring in foreign journalists, more foreign journalists, a lot. There’s a problem of assuring security, but I think it can be done,” Netanyahu says.
But he seems to suggest the military would accompany journalists.
He claims the decision was made a number of days ago, but seemed not to know if it had been implemented
“You’re telling me it hasn’t yet been implemented? But it should be. Should be,” he tells the reporter who asked the question.
Israel has banned foreign journalists from going into Gaza for the length of its war against Hamas.
Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel has allowed in two million tonnes of aid.
Most aid organisations say the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza is far below what is needed.
“If we had a starvation policy, no one in Gaza would have survived after two years of war.”
Netanyahu says there is a “global campaign of lies” against Israel.
He claims Hamas has been looting the aid trucks and that uncollected food has been “rotting” at the border, blaming the UN for not distributing it.
He criticises the international media for covering starvation in Gaza, giving three examples of what he calls fake photographs of starving children.
“I’m looking right now into the possibility of a governmental suit against the New York Times because this is outrageous.”
Netanyahu claims Hamas is refusing to “lay down its arms” so Israel has “no choice but to finish the job”.
“Given Hamas’s refusal to lay down its arms, Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas,” he says.
The Israeli prime minister claims there are “two remaining strongholds” in Gaza, that he intends to “dismantle”.
Netanyahu used the map below to illustrate where he says they are – the central camps, and Gaza City.
“We have about 70 to 75% of Gaza under Israeli control, military control,” Netanyahu says.
He adds: “Last Thursday, Israel’s cabinet, Israel’s security cabinet, instructed the IDF to dismantle the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps.”
He claims this is “the best way to end the war.”
Seemingly, this is where the next fighting will be and where Israel will concentrate its attacks.
Speaking at a news conference, Benjamin Netanyahu claims Gazans are “begging” Israel to free them from Hamas.
“Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, our goal is to free Gaza,” he says.
“The war can end tomorrow if Hamas lays down its arms and releases all the remaining hostages.”
He says Gaza will be demilitarised and Israel will maintain “security responsibility,” and a “non-Israeli civilian administration” will be established in Gaza.
“That’s our plan for the day after.”
That civilian administration won’t be the Palestinian Authority, he says.
Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a news conference.
We’ll be bringing you all the key updates here, and you can watch live at the top of the page.
By Sally Lockwood, Sky correspondent
When your son is risking his life fighting in Gaza, you don’t expect to hear news he’s been killed on a rest period at home.
Eliran Mizrahi had served 187 days as a reservist in Gaza since 8 October, before he died by suicide in June last year.
His mother Jenny has turned Eliran’s childhood bedroom into a shrine. The 40-year-old’s combat vest hanging on the wall still has sand in it from Gaza.
The cap he was wearing when he died, sits just above it on a shelf laden with memories of his life.
Late yesterday, protests were held in Israel calling for the immediate release of hostages.
A group representing the families of the hostages says: “Expanding the fighting endangers the hostages and the soldiers – the people of Israel are not willing to risk them!”
Among the crowds were families of the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza – around 20 of whom are thought to still be alive.
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