Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in Jerusalem on Wednesday, for their fourth tête-à-tête since the outbreak of the war against Hamas.
Netanyahu emphasized that the prospective IDF operation in Rafah, Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza, was essential to realizing the goals of the war, and that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would be considered an achievement by the terrorist group.
The two men also discussed the issue of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with Netanyahu calling on Rutte to join the maritime corridor initiative from Cyprus.
Netanyahu added that Israel was determined to replace UNWRA in Gaza without compromising aid, and thanked Rutte for freezing funding to the agency amid allegations its staff participated in the Oct. 7 terror attacks.
