Netanyahu: Defeating Iran could lead to end of Hamas, Hezbollah

Victory over Iran could bring about the elimination of Hamas and Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday night.

“It is clear that if this regime is defeated, the path to the final elimination of Hamas and the elimination of Hezbollah is not far off, and we will complete it,” Netanyahu told Channel 14.

Netanyahu said Israel still had unfinished business in the War of Redemption, which began with the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023. He also pointed to dangers beyond the Iranian-backed organizations.

“There are missions to complete, and there are also new threats,” he said.

Netanyahu then turned to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying that the Turkish leader “does not like us and does not like me. We are in an environment that is still challenging. The job needs to be finished.”

He went on to say that Israel’s existence is at stake in the Oct. 27 election, warning that if his challengers form a government, they would withdraw the Israeli army from “security zones” established during the war in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon.

A coalition government led by Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot would “leave Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, and establish a Palestinian state,” the premier warned.