Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised many on Sunday by announcing his intention to gradually eliminate the military aid his country receives from the United States, marking a significant shift in one of the most important strategic alliances in the Middle East. During an interview with the CBS program "60 Minutes," the Israeli leader stated that he would seek to "reduce to zero" U.S. financial military assistance within the next decade. "I want to reduce U.S. financial aid, the financial component of our military cooperation, because we receive $3.8 billion per year," Netanyahu said, adding that "it is time" for Israel to "stop depending" on these external resources. The Prime Minister explained that the transition would begin immediately and could even be accelerated faster than planned. "It could be reduced very quickly," he stated, although he did not provide further details on how he would compensate for the eventual budget shortfall that would result from the withdrawal of this funding. Currently, U.S. military assistance is a central pillar of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and includes funding for defense systems, the purchase of weapons, and military technological development. Decline in Support for Israel In the same interview, Netanyahu also addressed the deterioration of Israel's international image, particularly in the United States, amid the war in the Gaza Strip and the clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon. When asked about a Pew Research Center survey that revealed that 60% of American adults currently have an unfavorable view of Israel, the Prime Minister directly blamed social media. "The decline in support for Israel in the United States is almost 100% correlated with the exponential growth of social media," he stated, describing these platforms as the "eighth front of war." According to Netanyahu, various countries have deliberately manipulated social media to harm Israel on the international stage. "Israel has been besieged on the media front, on the propaganda front... and we have not done well in the propaganda war," he acknowledged. Defense of Military Operations The Israeli Prime Minister also defended the military operations conducted in Gaza, stating that his country has tried to minimize civilian casualties. "Israel has done everything humanly possible to protect innocent civilians," he said, mentioning the sending of text messages, phone calls, and warning leaflets before military attacks. However, he admitted that during operations, "armies sometimes fail and civilians die," although he insisted that "these are not things that happen intentionally." These statements come as tensions continue in the region despite the ceasefire that has been in place since October 2025. According to health authorities in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, approximately 850 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the truce. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that since the resumption of hostilities with Hezbollah in March, Israeli bombings have killed 2,846 people and injured more than 8,600 in Lebanese territory.