12/23/2024–|Last updated: 12/23/202407:32 PM (Mecca time)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday about progress in negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, and issued warnings to Iran and the Houthi group, saying that it is changing the face of the Middle East.
“We are taking important measures at all levels to return the kidnapped people,” Netanyahu said during a speech in the Israeli Knesset.
He revealed that there is progress on the deal “caused by things, including the fact that (Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar is no longer with us, as well as the strikes we are directing at Hamas.”
But he said he was not sure of the time needed to complete the exchange deal.
He said in his speech, “There is progress in the file of the deal to recover the abductees, but I do not know how long it will take.”
He added, “I will not reveal to you the details of the negotiations and procedures we are taking.”
The Israeli Prime Minister – who is on trial in corruption cases – said, “We will not allow any terrorist to base themselves on our borders, and as I said: We are changing the face of the Middle East, and this is something that pleases our friends.”
“Destroy the axis of evil”
Regarding Iran, he said that he must remove its threat and prevent it from possessing a nuclear weapon.
He added, “Our attack on Yemen will not be the last, and we will continue to destroy the Iranian axis of evil.”
Israel recently launched a violent attack on Yemen, the second of its kind since the Houthi group began bombing central Israel a year ago and targeting ships associated with it, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has so far led to the deaths and injuries of more than 150,000 people, most of them women and children, in addition to the destruction of vital infrastructure and facilities, and the displacement and starvation of the population.
