Bibi Defiant, Unfazed: ‘All Of Gaza Will Be Under Israel’s Control’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained defiant and came out swinging in a Wednesday press conference amid growing international isolation and pressure, even from allies.

He declared at a press conference in Jerusalem that Israel will control all of Gaza when the military offensive ends, and this remains the ultimate goal – to fully and finally crush Hamas.

Netanyahu described that it was days ago, upon the approval of Operation Gideon’s Chariots - the greatly expanded ground offensive in Gaza - that he made the decision to initiate the next stage of the war.

He asserted that “At the end of this campaign, all of the territories of the Gaza Strip will be under Israel’s security control.”

However, he did also say that “If there is an option for a temporary ceasefire to free hostages, we’ll be ready” – this after calling back Israeli negotiators from Doha this week.

He further said in the televised news conference, which was his first since December, that “We must avoid a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our freedom of operational action.”

Shortly after the address, regional headlines cited that dozens of aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip, which marks the end of an 80-day cutoff, and after intense pressure from allies to let aid flow, and amid fears of famine gripping the Palestinian population.

The BBC observed that Netanyahu’s tone was one of defiance and defensiveness:

Benjamin Netanyahu was in defensive mode, sticking to his guns and unfazed by critics - foreign and domestic – of his decision to step up the war in Gaza.

Operation Gideon’s Chariots is intended to “complete the war, the job”, said the Israeli Prime Minister at a rare press conference tonight to which only Israeli media were invited.

Despite recent reports this week that President Trump is “frustrated” with Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister believes he still has Washington’s full backing:

Despite growing calls from Israel’s European allies to end the war and address Gaza’s dire humanitarian needs, as long as he has the backing of the United States to continue the war in Gaza, Netanyahu indicated he will not change tack.

He said that his controversial aid plan for Gaza, which would bypass existing UN structures and facilities, would give Israel “another tool to win the war”. It’s a plan that has been widely condemned by the UN and foreign governments as akin to “weaponizing food aid”.

Bibi vs. the world…

BREAKING: Netanyahu: “I stand alone against the world — even against the self-haters in the Knesset — and I will not surrender. We will defeat Hamas.” pic.twitter.com/9FkUUyGxYv

— daniel (@LionsOfZion_ORG) May 21, 2025

“The president [Trump] is frustrated about what is happening in Gaza. He wants the war to end, he wants the hostages to come home, he wants aid to go in and he wants to start rebuilding Gaza,” one White House official said to Axios.

Yet, the reality is that US arms flow has shown no signs of slowing, nor has the billions in annual foreign aid doled out to Tel Aviv. Western leaders will likely continue their largely symbolic hand-wringing and expressions of ‘frustration’ – but nothing is likely to fundamentally change regarding the Israeli military’s trajectory at this point. Gaza is being turned into a parking lot, essentially.