Netanyahu: Military to control Gaza after the end of the war
According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's military should have control of the Gaza Strip after the war.
The Israeli army will "keep control of the Strip, we will not leave it to international forces", Netanyahu said at a meeting with representatives of Israeli border towns, according to media reports.
Netanyahu had previously told US broadcaster Fox News in an interview that Israel would not attempt to conquer, govern or occupy the Gaza Strip. "But we want to give it and ourselves a better future in the entire Middle East. And for that, Hamas must be defeated." He did not set a timetable, "because it may take more time", Netanyahu said. The Gaza Strip must be demilitarized, de-radicalized and rebuilt.
A senior advisor to Netanyahu had said last week that Israel was not seeking a permanent occupation of the territory. However, Mark Regev told the US broadcaster CNN that there must be an Israeli security presence so that the military can go in for operations depending on the threat situation.
Abbas wants control of Gaza in the event of a two-state solution
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has reportedly once again signaled its willingness to take back control of Gaza after the end of the war there as part of a two-state solution. "We will bear our full responsibility as part of a comprehensive political solution," said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. This refers to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, which would include the West Bank and East Jerusalem as well as the Gaza Strip.
However, this vision is seen as a threat to the Jewish state by most members of the current right-wing religious government in Israel and is therefore rejected. There are also far-right ministers who want to annex the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to maintain military control of the Gaza Strip after the war, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his desire for the Palestinian Authority to regain control of Gaza as part of a two-state solution, stating, "We will bear our full responsibility as part of a comprehensive political solution." Despite this, the idea of Palestinian control in Gaza is viewed as a threat to Israel's Jewish state by many members of the current government and far-right ministers who advocate for annexation.
Source: www.dpa.com
