Netanyahu: "Israel to Assume Indefinite Security Responsibility in Gaza Strip After War"

US Media Interview... "No Ceasefire... Considering Tactical Pause"

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, stated on the 6th (local time) that after the war with the Palestinian armed group Hamas ends, Israel will take full responsibility for the security of the Gaza Strip.

According to major foreign media, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in an interview with the US ABC News on the same day that Israel will be "indefinitely responsible for overall security" in the Gaza Strip after the war. He added, "If we do not take responsibility for security, what will come upon us is unimaginable-scale terrorist attacks by Hamas."

This statement is notable as it implies that Israel will intervene in some way in the governance of the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas.

John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the US White House National Security Council (NSC), drew a line when asked by ABC News whether the Biden administration agrees with Netanyahu's remarks, stating that discussions about Gaza's future are ongoing and nothing has been decided.

Coordinator Kirby said, "What we support is that Hamas can no longer control Gaza," and added, "We cannot go back to October 6, the day before Hamas's surprise attack on Israel."

He stated, "We are having conversations with our Israeli counterparts about what form of governance will exist in Gaza post-war, and I do not think any solution has been decided in one direction. This includes who will do what and for how long."

He further explained, "Therefore, this is a discussion we are having not only with Israel but also with other regional partners. It is clear that whatever form it takes, it cannot be like before."

Earlier, on the 5th, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken made a surprise visit to the Palestinian West Bank and proposed the efficient reorganization and revitalization of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to ideally govern Gaza post-war.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel.
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Local media have not yet provided a detailed analysis of Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks.

After repelling Hamas, there have been discussions led by the UN and the US about establishing a framework for governing the Gaza Strip, with the Israeli military and the intelligence agency Shin Bet coordinating security in Gaza, including preventing Hamas's reconstruction, until a permanent solution is reached.

Israel occupied the Gaza Strip following the Third Middle East War in 1967 but completely withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Hamas, which won a landslide victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections, declared unilateral control over Gaza in 2007 after conflicts with the Fatah party (currently the leading faction of the Palestinian Authority), which did not accept the election results.

In the interview, Netanyahu said he would consider a "tactical temporary pause" for the release of hostages or delivery of relief supplies.

Regarding a humanitarian ceasefire, he drew a line by saying, "There will be no ceasefire in Gaza unless our hostages are released," and added, "There is no general (meaning) ceasefire."

However, he added, "We have already conducted tactical partial ceasefires here and there for an hour at a time," and said, "I think we will consider conditions to allow goods and humanitarian aid to enter and for our hostages to be released."

This statement comes as Israel, which was caught off guard by Hamas's surprise attack on October 7 last month and declared a 'bloody retaliation,' has continued the war for nearly a month, with the death toll in Gaza alone exceeding 10,000.

It is estimated that about 200 hostages were taken from Israel during Hamas's surprise attack, with only a very small number having been released or rescued so far.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.