Netanyahu: Hamas may interfere in Israel’s elections

Netanyahu warned that Hamas still has the ability to launch rockets from Gaza.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hamas could attempt an attack to disrupt Israel’s elections, saying in an interview with Kalman Liebskind in Makor Rishon that the terrorist organization retains the ability to launch rockets and drones from Gaza despite no longer posing the same level of threat.

“Gaza is no longer a real threat to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said one month before the elections.

“In the end, Hamas will not be there. The current situation is much better than the alternative, but it is not satisfactory. Gaza is no longer a real threat to Israel, but that does not mean that they cannot launch rockets or drones from there. They could do that even on the eve of the elections. I have no doubt that they will want to undermine our success, and they could stage some momentary display of one attack or another in order to disrupt the elections,” he added.

Addressing criticism of Qatari funds transferred to Gaza before the war, Netanyahu said all branches of Israel’s security establishment had recommended the policy.

He said the Qatari funds accounted for 2% of the money entering Gaza and were monitored while going toward sewage, disease prevention and humanitarian needs.

Netanyahu also discussed the operation that eliminated Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, saying he deliberately did not inform the administration in Washington beforehand because he feared the information would leak.

“If we had informed the Americans, within five minutes you would have seen it reported by Thomas Friedman in The New York Times, and Nasrallah would have fled the location,” he said.

Netanyahu said judicial reform remains on the agenda and that changes he believes are necessary will be pursued during the next term with the goal of reaching broad agreement.