 "<div>Right to defend ourselves beyond borders: Netanyahu says Israel will continue targeting Hamas abroad</div>")
Addressing a press conference with US State Secretary Marco Rubio, Netanyahu said that Hamas does not have “immunity wherever they are” and that Israel has the right to “defend itself beyond its borders”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he has not ruled out striking Hamas leaders abroad in the future, like the one that killed six people in Qatar earlier this month.
Addressing a press conference with US State Secretary Marco Rubio, Netanyahu said that Hamas does not have “immunity wherever they are” and that Israel has the right to “defend itself beyond its borders”.
Israel’s targeting of Hamas leaders in Qatar, a key US ally, sparked international outrage and drew criticism from US President Donald Trump. According to Hamas, six people were killed in the strike, though its top leaders survived.
How has Trump reacted?
Trump has been critical of Netanyahu’s action in Qatar, with the president offering a rare rebuke to Israel over the strikes in Qatar.
On Monday, he insisted that Netanyahu would not strike Qatar again. “He won’t be hitting in Qatar,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, after Netanyahu failed to rule out further strikes.
Meanwhile, when asked whether the US had played a role in orchestrating the Qatari strikes, Netanyahu said, “We did it on our own. Period.”
However, a report by Axios suggests that Netanyahu informed Trump around 50 minutes before an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha.
According to the report, as many as seven Israeli officials said that the White House was aware of the planned attack prior to the missile launch.
Rubio backs Israel
Rubio on Monday backed Israel’s new offensive on Gaza City and its goal of eradicating Hamas, casting doubt on whether diplomacy would work to end nearly two years of war.
Rubio showed no daylight between himself and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a visit to Jerusalem.
“The people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated,” Rubio told reporters at a joint press conference with Netanyahu.
“You can count on our unwavering support,” he said.
Rubio also took a dim view of the Qatari-brokered negotiations for a ceasefire, despite Trump last month predicting an end to the war within weeks.
With inputs from agencies
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