Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that victory in the war against Tehran opens up “huge opportunities“ for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and for the defeat of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas.
He spoke during a visit to a facility of the Shabak General Security Service.
“We have eliminated an immediate threat to our existence, two deadly threats to our survival - Tehran's nuclear program and the production of Iranian ballistic missiles. After this victory, huge opportunities have opened up. First of all, for the release of the hostages,“ said Netanyahu. The prime minister's statements were released by his office.
The prime minister added that Israel "must also solve the Gaza problem and defeat Hamas." "I believe we will achieve both goals," the prime minister continued.
He also noted that "broad regional opportunities are opening up," referring to the prospects for normalizing Israel's relations with other countries in the region.
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem District Court canceled this week's hearings in the long-running corruption trial against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Reuters reported, quoted by news.bg.
A request for this was accepted by the Israeli leader, who cited diplomatic and security considerations.
It is unclear whether US President Donald Trump's social media posts influenced the court's decision. Trump suggested the trial could prevent Netanyahu from engaging in talks with the Palestinian group Hamas and Iran.
Netanyahu also later thanked the support on social media.
A spokesman for the Israeli prosecutor's office declined to comment on Trump's post.
The decision, seen by "Reuters", said new reasons presented by Netanyahu, the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency and the head of military intelligence justified the cancellation of the hearings.
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which he denies. He described the trial against him as a "witch hunt" aimed at overthrowing a democratically elected right-wing leader.
On Friday, the court rejected Netanyahu's request to postpone his testimony for the next two weeks due to diplomatic and security concerns following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran that ended last Tuesday.
He was due to appear on the witness stand on Monday for cross-examination.