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By: Fern Sidman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed Washington late Thursday evening aboard the “Wing of Zion,” concluding a four-day diplomatic mission marked by two high-stakes meetings at the White House with President Donald J. Trump. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the trip achieved all strategic objectives Netanyahu sought to fulfill—including bolstering U.S.-Israel cooperation on security and laying the groundwork for the release of additional hostages held by Hamas.
Israel National News reported on Friday that the Prime Minister’s engagements in Washington were tightly focused on the twin priorities of national defense and hostage recovery. During the visit, Netanyahu also granted a rare one-on-one interview to Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren, where he outlined Israel’s progress in talks for a temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal.
In the Newsmax interview, Netanyahu was unsparing in his condemnation of Hamas, labeling the Gaza-based terror group “monsters” for its treatment of Israeli hostages abducted on October 7, 2023.
“They’re monsters. I mean, what they do to them—and the stories we get are horrible,” Netanyahu told Van Susteren. “So it’s not easy for us when we’re doing it.”
As reported by Israel National News, the Prime Minister revealed new details on a developing framework for a temporary ceasefire that could see the release of approximately half of the remaining hostages. Of the 50 hostages still unreturned, Netanyahu said, “20 are definitely alive, and some 30 are not alive. I want to take them all out.”
The potential deal, according to the Prime Minister, would begin with a 60-day pause in fighting—during which 10 living hostages and several of the deceased would be repatriated. Further negotiations would then determine the path toward a broader ceasefire, contingent upon Hamas’s full disarmament.
“If Hamas lays down its arms, the war ends tomorrow,” Netanyahu told Newsmax.
Netanyahu was forceful in dismissing what he described as global misinformation campaigns that depict Israel as the aggressor in Gaza. He pointed to Hamas’s use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, a tactic he said distorts the battlefield reality and poisons international discourse.
“Hamas targets our civilians and uses their civilians as shields. And then they complain that the civilian losses are because of us,” Netanyahu said. “We say to the civilians: ‘Leave the war zone.’ Hamas says: ‘Stay. If you try to leave, we’ll shoot you.’”
According to the information provided in the Israel National News report, Netanyahu’s comments come amid growing scrutiny from international media and human rights groups. But the Prime Minister pushed back decisively, accusing Hamas of engineering civilian casualties for propaganda purposes.
“They want the pictures of dead civilians to be pinned on Israel. But it’s Hamas that’s causing it. They’re monsters,” he repeated.
In a striking admission, Netanyahu revealed what he described as a “historic shift” in sentiment among the Palestinian population in Gaza. According to the Prime Minister, Israel’s military campaign has weakened Hamas to the point that Palestinian civilians are beginning to fight back against their own tyrants.
“We see something that never happened before,” Netanyahu said. “Palestinians in Gaza are fighting Hamas. Palestinians in Gaza are defying Hamas. They’re saying, ‘We don’t want to be tyrannized and subjugated by these monsters.’”
Israel National News has corroborated these reports with independent sources, suggesting an undercurrent of resistance is brewing within Gaza itself—fueled by both fatigue and the crumbling grip of Hamas’s authority.
The Jerusalem-Washington axis was on full display this week as Netanyahu and Trump engaged in two extensive meetings described by Israeli officials as “highly productive.” Although no formal agreement on a final ceasefire was announced, both leaders emphasized their shared commitment to ensuring that Hamas is permanently neutralized and that the hostages are returned.
The report at Israel National News emphasized that Netanyahu’s public messaging during the trip marked a clear continuation of his hardline stance: no return to the pre-October 7 status quo, and no peace without Hamas’s complete military and political dismantling.
The Prime Minister left Washington with a clear signal of unity between Jerusalem and Washington, reinforced by the unwavering backing of the Trump administration and its allies.
As he boarded the Wings of Zion, Netanyahu issued a final statement summarizing his objectives: “We are committed to bringing every hostage home, to defeating Hamas, and to restoring lasting security for the people of Israel.”
According to the information contained in the Israel National News report, Netanyahu’s confidence was echoed by Israeli officials accompanying him on the trip, who view the Washington visit as a turning point—both diplomatically and operationally—in Israel’s war effort.
While much work remains to be done—on the battlefield, at the negotiating table, and in the court of global opinion—Netanyahu’s message was unmistakable: Israel will not relent, and it will not compromise on its most sacred mission—to protect its people and bring its captives home.
