Netanyahu Says Israel Agreed Gaza Truce to Focus on Jihadist Threat, Hizbullah

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel agreed to a permanent truce in its 50-day Gaza war with Hamas in order to keep focused on the threat from regional militants.

"We fought for 50 days and we could have fought for 500 days, but we are in a situation where the Islamic State is at the gates of Jordan, al-Qaida is in the Golan and Hizbullah is at the border with Lebanon," Netanyahu said in an address on public television.

He was referring to Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq -- both neighbors of Jordan -- al-Qaida-linked Al-Nusra Front Syria rebels on the Israeli-annexed Golan and Lebanon's Hizbullah.

"We decided not to get bogged down in Gaza, and we could have, but we decided to limit our objective and restore calm to Israeli citizens," Netanyahu added.

His remarks come as the United States, Israel's chief ally, is calling for a global coalition to fight the jihadists who have set up an Islamic "caliphate" in areas they have overrun in Syria and Iraq.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will send Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle East to discuss the plan, which he said would involve military, diplomatic and regional efforts.

Calm returned to the Gaza Strip after a Tuesday ceasefire, a permanent truce ahead of further expected negotiations between Israel and the Hamas rulers of Gaza on a long-term peace deal.

Comments 2
Missing zgmdf over 9 years

The Christians are thriving in Israel, and are much safer there then anywhere else in the Middle East, including in Lebanon!!!Anything else said, is part of the Middle East mindless anti-Israel propaganda!!!

Missing phillipo over 9 years

Maybe the report is correct, some Ultra-Orthodox Jews are spitting on them. However not a single one of them has been attacked physically or been killed simply because they are Christians. Certainly not like the situation in Syria, Iran, and even Lebanon.