Netanyahu denies US blindsided Israel with Iran ceasefire, says war not over

Israeli prime minister emphasizes that Iran ceasefire is temporary, hints at continuation of war after two weeks.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday night denied that the US had blindsided Israel hours earlier by declaring a two-week ceasefire with Iran, while also downplaying the significance of the truce.

In a televised statement issued just after the end of the Passover festival, Netanyahu touted the accomplishments of the 39-day joint US-Israeli air campaign against Iran, declaring that Iran “is weaker than ever, and Israel is stronger than ever.”

“This is the bottom line of this campaign, up to this moment.”

Netanyahu pushed back on criticism from opposition lawmakers and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who decried President Donald Trump’s decision to accept Iran’s request for a two-week ceasefire.

Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) called the truce the greatest “political disaster” in Israeli history, echoing reports that Israel was caught off guard by Trump’s announcement just after midnight on Wednesday.

“Israel wasn’t even part of the discussions when decisions were made concerning our national security,” Lapid claimed.

Netanyahu pushed back on the criticism and denied that Israel had been caught by “surprise.”

“As you know, a two-week temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran went into effect tonight, in full coordination with Israel. No, they did not surprise us at the last minute.”

The prime minister added that the two-week truce, which Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had requested to give peace talks more time, did not mark the end of the war.

“Now, I want to emphasize, this is not the end of the campaign. This is a way station on the way to achieving all of our goals,” Netanyahu said.

“We still have goals to complete, and we will achieve them either by agreement or by the resumption of fighting. We are prepared to return to combat at any necessary moment. Our finger is on the trigger.”

Despite Tehran’s public claims to the contrary, Netanyahu said that Iran had accepted Israel’s demand that the ceasefire not include Lebanon.

“Iran enters negotiations battered and weaker than ever. It has committed to opening the Strait of Hormuz after waiving all of its preconditions. It waived the cancellation of sanctions, receiving reparations, a final end to the war, and also a ceasefire in Lebanon.”