Israel opposes creation of Palestinian state after the end of the war in Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu says

18 January 2024, 22:38 | Updated: 18 January 2024, 22:40

Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his Israeli government opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.

The Israeli prime minister said that his country must have security control over all land west of the river Jordan, including Gaza, to prevent an atrocity like the October 7 massacre taking place again.

He told reporters on Thursday: "This is a necessary condition, and it conflicts with the idea of (Palestinian) sovereignty.

"What to do? I tell this truth to our American friends, and I also stopped the attempt to impose a reality on us that would harm Israel's security."

Mr Netanyahu also vowed to press on with the war in Gaza "until complete victory", including the total destruction of Hamas and the return of all surviving hostages still held captive, of which Israel thinks there are about 130.

Keir Starmer tells Nick Ferrari we can't 'give up on two-state solution.'

He added: "Victory will yet take many long months, but we are determined to achieve it….

"Israel under my leadership will not compromise on less than total victory over Hamas, and we will win. I say this again, so that no one will be in doubt: We are striving for total victory, not just ‘to strike Hamas’ or ‘to hurt Hamas’, not ‘another round with Hamas’ but total victory over Hamas."

Allies like the US and the UK all publicly back the two-state solution, in which Palestine gains full sovereignty. They have also publicly endorsed Israel's right to defend itself.

The US, by far Israel's most important backer, has recently pushed for the war, which has claimed the lives of around 25,000 people in Gaza, to be scaled back.

Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely joins Iain Dale to take your calls | Watch Again

US national security council spokesman John Kirby said the White House had been speaking to Israel "about a transition to low-intensity operations" in Gaza.

He said: "We believe it's the right time for that transition. And we're talking to them about doing that."

Mr Kirby said after Mr Netanyahu's speech that there would be no "re-occupation of Gaza" when the war was over.

Israel argues that to protect its security it needs to restrict Palestinian independence.

Officials in Mr Netanyahu's government have made similar signals against full Palestinian sovereignty in recent months.

The country's ambassador to the UK Tsipi Hotovely said in December that Israel would "absolutely not" accept a two-state solution.

Lord Cameron, the UK's Foreign Secretary told MPs last week that Ms Hotovely had been "wrong" in this case.

Mark Regev, an adviser to the Israeli government, told LBC's Andrew Marr last week that "Palestinians would receive less than a state", citing former Israeli Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Yitzhak Rabin.

Mr Regev added of Mr Rabin: "He knew that such a state would have to be demilitarised, and such a state would have to be unable to sign military pacts with countries like Iran and so forth.

"There would be restrictions on their sovereignty. He said that Palestinians would have "all the powers to govern themselves, and yet none of the powers to threaten Israel",