Netanyahu uses Holocaust ceremony to brush off international pressure against Gaza offensive

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected international pressure to halt the war in Gaza in a fiery speech marking the country’s annual Holocaust memorial day. Netanyahu told a ceremony Sunday that “if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.” The message, delivered in a setting that typically avoids politics, was aimed at the growing chorus of world leaders who have criticized the heavy toll caused by Israel’s military offensive against Hamas militants and urged the sides to agree to a cease-fire. Yom Hashoah, the day Israel observes as a memorial for the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and its allies in the Holocaust, is one of the most solemn dates on the country’s calendar.