Netanyahu sacks national security advisor following reported disagreements over Gaza War

He went on: "The multi-front campaign forced upon us on October 7, 2023, is not yet over. Our fighters remain vigilant on many fronts, and the mission of bringing home all our hostages has not yet been completed.

"The obligation also remains to ensure — by diplomatic or military means — that the terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip are removed from power, disarmed, and that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel."

Hanegbi also admitted he "shares responsibility" for the "terrible failure of October 7" and called to "restore unity across all spheres of public life" in Israel.

"We must act to heal the wounds within Israeli society and strengthen our unity," he concluded.

It comes after Netanyahu claimed on Monday, during an address to the Knesset, that Israelis would have "gone up in nuclear smoke" if he had ended the Gaza War earlier.

The prime minister suggested that Hamas only agreed to the current deal due to the pressure exerted by the IDF's push to occupy Gaza City prior to the truce.

And he emphasised that no deal as favourable to Israel had been accepted by the terror group beforehand.

"At no stage – not six months ago, not a year ago, not a year and a half ago – at no stage was Hamas ready to accept the proposal that we attained now," he said.

"If I had listened to many of those in this hall, and outside it, you who called for me to stop the war, to surrender, to throw up my hands… If I had given in to these demands, the war would have ended with a crushing victory for Hamas and the entire Iranian axis.

"Peace is made with the strong, not the weak, and today everyone knows that Israel is a very strong country. A country that is stronger than ever.”

Several lawmakers were ejected from the chamber for heckling Netanyahu as he made the comments.

However, he also called to "lower the flames" of political debate, adding: "We know what a terrible catastrophe baseless hatred caused in our history."