Netanyahu Spox on Biden’s Threats to Change Policy: Hamas Wants Pressure on Israel, Not Them

On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “America Reports,” Netanyahu Spokesperson Tal Heinrich said that Netanyahu and President Joe Biden had a “good call” and the U.S. and Israel agree on the need to eliminate Hamas while minimizing civilian harm and the desire to free the hostages. She also responded to the Biden administration threatening changes in its policy if Israel doesn’t change by saying that “People have to understand that Hamas, they want international pressure to be applied on Israel instead of on them” and “there will be no humanitarian pause in the fighting, no ceasefire that will leave our hostages in Gaza and leave Hamas in power. That is unacceptable on our end.”

Co-host Sandra Smith played video of Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying, “With regard to our policy in Gaza, look, I’ll just say this, if we don’t see the changes that we need to see, there will be changes in our own policy.”

Smith then asked, “So, this is the messaging. How would you characterize this moment in the war?”

Heinrich responded, “You see — first, it’s every moment in this war, including right now, is a moment for moral clarity. This is another moment for moral clarity. People have to understand that Hamas, they want international pressure to be applied on Israel instead of on them and, again, let them live another day and stay in power. There’s a lot of talk I’m hearing about an immediate humanitarian pause in the fighting, so to say, a ceasefire. It’s important to understand, there will be no humanitarian pause in the fighting, no ceasefire that will leave our hostages in Gaza and leave Hamas in power. That is unacceptable on our end.”

Heinrich also stated that the U.S. will have to explain what it means by changes in policy.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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