Prime Minister Netanyahu: Israel faces prolonged 'isolation' over Gaza war

According to CNN on September 16, speaking at a conference of the Israeli Ministry of Finance on September 15, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the Israeli economy will need to adapt to "self-sufficiency" - becoming more self-reliant and less dependent on outside trade.

One of the key industries facing isolation is the arms trade, which could force Israel to move away from relying on foreign arms imports, he said.

“We need to develop our arms industry – we will be a combination of Athens and super Sparta. We have no other choice, at least in the coming years, when we are forced to deal with these isolation efforts,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.

Mr Netanyahu's statements marked a rare acknowledgement of the international backlash Israel is facing as it escalates the war in Gaza.

Israel is currently facing partial or full arms embargoes from France, the Netherlands, Britain, Spain, Italy and other countries due to its actions in the Gaza war.

However, the bulk of Israel's arms imports come from the United States, which has not imposed any such restrictions on Israel and has warned other countries not to do the same.

Meanwhile, Axios reported that the Israeli military launched an attack on Gaza City."The Israeli military launched a ground offensive on September 15 to capture Gaza City," Axios said, adding that the Israeli air force conducted major airstrikes on Gaza that evening, and Israeli tanks entered the city shortly afterward.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the heads of the Mossad, the General Security Directorate and Military Intelligence have advised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from this operation.