Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday reiterated Tel Aviv's intention to impose "full security control" over the Gaza Strip, including "complete disarmament," while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would not accept the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip or the carving out any parts of it.
Netanyahu said in a written statement that "after the elimination of Hamas, there will be full Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip, including complete disarmament, to ensure that there is no threat from the Strip to the citizens of Israel."
Netanyahu's remarks came during a meeting with the heads of Israeli municipal councils in the towns surrounding the Gaza Strip, settlements that were the first target of fighters of the Qassam Brigades – the military wing of Hamas – at the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.
"There is a great determination here on your part (the mayors) and on the part of the government to return to more than things were (before the war), first of all, to restore security — making sure that there is no Hamas and that it doesn't return — but also making sure that there will be a strong life after that in the Gaza envelope," Netanyahu said.
The Israeli prime minister told Fox News that Israel's more than month-long air and ground offensive against Hamas was taking longer than he had hoped.
On Monday, Netanyahu explicitly announced Tel Aviv's intention to assume "comprehensive security responsibility for an indefinite period" over the Gaza Strip after the war, a vision backed by the United States on the condition that "the Palestinians lead the new government that will be formed in Gaza" after the end of the period that Israel will take over.
Abbas: Ready to assume the responsibilities of the sector
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant revealed in remarks last month that the war on Gaza consists of 3 phases, ending with "the establishment of a new security system in the Gaza Strip, the removal of Israel's responsibility for daily life in it, and the creation of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel and the area surrounding the Gaza Strip," without specifying a time frame for the completion of these stages.
Israel has repeatedly stated that the goal of the war is to end Hamas's rule in Gaza, "eliminate" its military capabilities, and return Israeli prisoners in Gaza.
In turn, the United States, through its Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has confirmed on more than one occasion, Washington's rejection of Israel's return to occupy the Gaza Strip.
In a parallel context, the Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as saying that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, expressing readiness to assume full responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution for both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Abbas stressed – in a statement issued on the 19th anniversary of the death of his predecessor, President Yasser Arafat – that he will not accept the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip or the carving out of any parts of it, under any name.
Abbas warned against the displacement of the Palestinian people outside Gaza, the West Bank or Jerusalem, noting that he would not accept a repeat of the Nakba of 1948 or the displacement of 1967.
Abbas also reiterated that the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and is the independent national decision-maker.
For 35 days, the Israeli army has been waging a war on Gaza during which it "destroyed residential neighborhoods on the heads of their inhabitants," killing 11,78 Palestinians, including 4506,3027 children, 678,26 women and 183 elderly, injuring more than 2280,<>, killing <> Palestinians and arresting <>,<> in the West Bank, according to official sources.