Israel-Hamas war: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will continue until Hamas is defeated but asserted that the country has no intention to conquer or govern the blockaded territory after the fighting ends. In an interview with Fox News that aired on Thursday evening, Netanyahu made clear that though Israel had no intention of occupying Gaza, it did envision a radically reshaped territory free of Hamas.
“What we have to see is Gaza demilitarized, deradicalized and rebuilt,” he said.
Netanyahu was also asked about the prospect of a daily humanitarian pause. He replied, “The fighting continues against the Hamas enemy, the Hamas terrorists, but in specific locations for a given period, a few hours here, a few hours there, we want to facilitate a safe passage of civilians away from the zone of fighting. And we’re doing that.”
Who will rule the Gaza Strip if Israeli Defence Forces 'wipes out' Hamas?
Earlier, Netanyahu, on Tuesday, asserted to take “overall security responsibility” in Gaza indefinitely after its war with Hamas. The latest remarks are seen as the clearest indication yet that Israel plans to maintain control over the coastal enclave one month into a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and levelled whole swaths of the territory.
In an interview with ABC News that aired late on Monday, Netanyahu expressed openness to “little pauses” in the fighting to facilitate the delivery of aid to Gaza or the release of some of the more than 240 hostages seized by Hamas in its October 7 attack into Israel that triggered the war.
But he ruled out any general cease-fire without the release of all the hostages, and the White House said there was no agreement on US President Joe Biden’s call for a broader humanitarian pause after a phone call between the leaders.
It is worth mentioning this is a key question-- who will rule Gaza if IDF wipes out Hamas from the region?
Death toll in Gaza surpassed 10,000
The Palestinian death toll has surpassed 10,000, the Health Ministry of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Monday, including over 4,100 minors. More than 2,300 people are missing and believed to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings, the ministry said. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, and Israel says it has killed thousands of fighters.
About 1,400 people in Israel have died, mostly civilians killed in the Oct. 7 incursion by Hamas. Israelis observed a moment of silence Tuesday in memory of the victims. The 30th day is a milestone in Jewish mourning, and memorial events are planned in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
In southern Gaza, where Palestinians have been told to seek refuge, an Israeli airstrike destroyed several homes early Tuesday in the town of Khan Younis. First responders pulled five bodies — including three dead children — from the rubble, according to an Associated Press journalist at the scene.
(With inputs from agency)
Also Read: Who will rule Gaza Strip if Israeli Defence Forces 'wipes out' Hamas? Netanyahu clarifies
