Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the Jewish state will be responsible for the “overall security” of the Gaza Strip for an “indefinite period” after the country’s war against Hamas ends.
Netanyahu, 74, outlined his vision for the future of the Palestinian-controlled territory during an interview on ABC News’ “World News Tonight with David Muir,” in which he explained that Gaza should only be led by “those who do not want to continue the path of Hamas.”
“I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, have overall security responsibility because we have seen what happens when we don’t have it,” the prime minister said. “When we don’t have that security responsibility, what we have is an eruption of Hamas violence on a scale we can’t even imagine.”
President Biden told CBS’ “60 Minutes” last month that Israel occupying Gaza would be a “huge mistake,” arguing that “there needs to be a Palestinian authority” in charge that would lead to a “Palestinian state.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin during an interview on ABC News’ World News Tonight with David Muir.
Netanyahu also vowed during the interview, the first with a US network since the start of the war, that there would be no ceasefire in the conflict until all hostages held by Hamas were released.
“As for the ceasefire, the president himself has said that the ceasefire will be a surrender to Hamas, it will be a victory for Hamas,” the prime minister said.
Netanyahu, however, left the door open to the possibility of a short “pause” to allow hostages to be released and humanitarian goods to enter Gaza.
Palestinians search for survivors following Israeli airstrikes in the Nusseirat refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 31. 2023.AP
“There will be no ceasefire, general ceasefire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages,” the prime minister said. “As far as tactics, small breaks, an hour here an hour there, we have done it before. I think we will review the situation to allow goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages, to come out, but I don’t think there will be a general ceasefire.”
Netanyahu argued that pressuring Hamas to release the hostages through force was the best way forward.
A truce “will hinder our efforts to get our hostages out because the only thing that works against these criminals in Hamas is the military pressure that we are exerting,” Netanyahu said. “If Hamas agrees to release the hostages, then there will be a pause.”
Smoke and flames rise from an Israeli lighting flare attack on the Al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Gaza on November 6, 2023. Anadolu via Getty Images
Netanyahu backed down when pressed by Muir if there was disagreement between him and President Biden on the need for a humanitarian pause in the war.
Biden, 80, held an emergency call with Netanyahu – a longtime friend of the president – on Monday in which the topic of the “humanitarian pause” was discussed, according to the White House.
“[Biden and Netanyahu] “discussing possible tactical pauses to allow civilians the opportunity to safely depart from areas of ongoing combat, to ensure aid reaches civilians in need, and to allow for the release of potential hostages,” the White House said in a statement.
More than 1,400 Israelis died in the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on the Jewish state and the Palestinian Authority said more than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli retaliation.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
