In an interview with US television outlet Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured the international community that Israel has no intentions of conquering, occupying, or governing the Gaza Strip after its war with Hamas concludes. Netanyahu emphasized the need for a “credible force” to enter Gaza if necessary, in order to prevent the emergence of militant threats.
“We don’t seek to conquer Gaza, we don’t seek to occupy Gaza, and we don’t seek to govern Gaza,” Netanyahu stated. He emphasized the necessity of a civilian government in Gaza, while also highlighting the need to ensure that a devastating attack like the one carried out by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 people, does not happen again.
To prevent the re-emergence of a Hamas-like entity, Netanyahu stressed the importance of a credible force capable of entering Gaza and neutralizing potential threats. “We have to have a credible force that, if necessary, will enter Gaza and kill the killers,” he asserted.
Netanyahu’s remarks earlier this week, which seemed to imply Israel would assume security responsibilities in Gaza, drew criticism from the United States.
