War in the Middle East: Netanyahu: Israel will retain control in Gaza

Israel will retain responsibility for security in the Gaza Strip indefinitely, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We have seen what happens when we don’t have them,” Netanyahu said in an interview with US broadcaster ABC when asked who would govern the area after the end of the Gaza war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas organization should.

“Because if we don’t have control over security, Hamas’ terror will erupt on a scale we cannot imagine,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu is ruling out a general ceasefire for the time being

In the same interview, Netanyahu ruled out a longer ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for the time being. “Without the release of the hostages, there will be no general ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

“As far as tactical pauses – an hour here, an hour there – we can assess the circumstances to bring in humanitarian supplies and bring out individual hostages. But I don’t think there will be a blanket ceasefire.”

Israel’s head of government had previously spoken to US President Joe Biden about temporary ceasefires in the Gaza war. They discussed the possibility of “tactical pauses” to allow civilians to leave combat areas, to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip and to enable the release of additional hostages, the White House said after the phone call. At least 240 people – including US citizens – are still in the control of the Islamist Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip.

According to Netanyahu, a general ceasefire would contradict Israel’s war aims. “That would hinder our efforts to free our hostages, because the only thing these Hamas criminals understand is the military pressure we exert,” he said in the ABC interview.