Netanyahu: "Talked with 'nae chingu' Trump... Discussed the necessity of victory"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on the 15th (local time) that he discussed the Syria situation, responses to Iran and Hezbollah, and negotiations for the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

According to AP News and CNN, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated in a video message that day, "Last night, I discussed all of these matters with my friend and the U.S. President-elect, Trump."

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel. Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

He added, "It was a very kind, warm, and important conversation," and said, "We talked about the necessity to complete Israel's victory and also had a detailed discussion about the efforts being made to release the hostages."

Netanyahu said, "We are not interested in confronting Syria," and "We will decide our policy based on visible realities." He had previously claimed that Israel has no intention of interfering in Syria's internal affairs.

However, he pointed out that Syria has been an adversary of Israel for decades, stating, "Syria has allowed Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah through Syrian territory." This appears to justify the Israeli military's entry into a buffer zone within Syrian territory beyond the northern border after the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria collapsed to rebel forces on the 8th.

Netanyahu said he is working to prevent Hezbollah's rearmament and warned, "To Hezbollah and Iran, we clearly say: If necessary, we will continue to act anytime and anywhere to ensure you do not harm us."

During his first term in office, President-elect Trump imposed strong economic sanctions on Iran and maintained close cooperation with Israel, showcasing a close relationship with Netanyahu, who was also prime minister at the time.