Netanyahu: Israel ‘not successful’ in minimizing Gaza civilian casualties

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in an interview that his country has been “not successful” in minimizing civilian casualties inside the Gaza Strip. 

Netanyahu, speaking to CBS News, said “any civilian death is a tragedy” and that “we shouldn’t have any because we’re doing everything we can to get the civilians out of harm’s way, while Hamas is doing everything to keep them in harm’s way. 

“So we send leaflets, we call them on their cell phones, and we say: ‘leave’. And many have left,” Netanyahu said. “But Hamas tried to stop them at gunpoint and fired at the safe corridors that we provided for the Palestinians. So they don’t give a hoot about the Palestinians.” 

“The other thing that I can say is that we’ll try to finish that job with minimal civilian casualties,” Netanyahu added. “That’s what we’re trying to do, minimal civilian casualties. But unfortunately, we’re not successful.” 

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The Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health says more than 10,000 civilians have been killed so far in Gaza since the onset of the Oct. 7 war. Hamas also has killed more than 1,200 Israelis and has taken around 240 people captive. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Friday that it is continuing to provide and deliver aid to people in Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital while its military conducts a “precise and targeted” operation against Hamas terrorists in the building. 

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The IDF posted on X that troops delivered over 4,000 liters of water and 1,500 ready-made meals to the hospital. 

“The well-being of civilians, including patients and staff, remains a priority,” it wrote. 

The IDF also said Friday that underground tunnels and weapons were discovered under three of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip. 

 

The footage of the purported tunnel at the Al-Shifa Hospital shows a deep hole in the ground littered with concrete, wood rubble and sand. Israel says Hamas uses the hospitals for military purposes. 

Fox News’ Elizbeth Pritchett and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.