Israel retains right to resume Gaza fighting, Netanyahu says

JERUSALEM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Israel retains the right to resume war in Gaza with U.S. backing should the second stage of the ceasefire prove pointless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday.

"If we must return to fighting we will do that in new, forceful ways, Netanyahu said in a video statement. "President Trump and President Biden have given full backing to Israel's right to return to combat if Israel concludes that negotiations on Phase B are futile," he said.

(Reporting by Maayan Lubell; editing by James Mackenzie)

((maayan.lubell@thomsonreuters.com;))