Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel intends to take control of the entire Gaza Strip to dismantle Hamas but insists it does not aim to govern the enclave, a statement that has reignited political and international tensions.
“We intend to take over in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas from there, and to pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas and not anyone advocating the destruction of Israel,” Netanyahu said during an interview with a US network on Thursday.
“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body,” he added.
The comments came ahead of a critical Israeli security cabinet meeting where Netanyahu is seeking approval for an expanded military operation in Gaza, including in densely populated areas where hostages are believed to be held.
His proposal, however, is already facing criticism from both domestic and international quarters. Hamas responded sharply, describing the remarks as “a coup” against ongoing ceasefire negotiations, accusing Netanyahu of prioritising personal political interests over the fate of Israeli hostages.
“Netanyahu’s plans to expand Israel’s Gaza offensive show his aim is to sacrifice Israel’s own hostages to serve his personal interests,” Hamas said in a statement.
Inside Israel, divisions are emerging between the political leadership and the military. Israeli media reports suggest a growing rift between the cabinet and the military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who is said to oppose any full reoccupation of Gaza.
Zamir appeared to defend his independence on Thursday, stating, “We are not dealing with theory we are dealing with matters of life and death, with the defence of the state, and we do so while looking directly into the eyes of our soldiers and citizens.”
Defence Minister Israel Katz, attempting to ease tensions, stated that while military leaders are entitled to voice their opinions, “the military must ultimately respect any policies adopted by the government.”
Despite Netanyahu’s framing of a limited security role and plans to eventually hand over control to Arab forces, critics have questioned the feasibility of such an arrangement.
Gideon Levy, a journalist with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, dismissed the plan as unrealistic and politically motivated.
“What does he mean, another force will take over Gaza? Who is going to get into Gaza, who will be willing to do so, except for the Israeli military, obviously?” Levy said.
“There is a goal for this war, to push all the people of Gaza to this ‘humanitarian’ concentration camp and then offer them to leave Gaza.”
Meanwhile, international pressure on Israel is mounting amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. The UN and other humanitarian agencies continue to warn of an impending famine in the Strip.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported four more deaths due to starvation in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of hunger-related deaths to 197 since Israel’s military campaign began in response to the October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Of those, 96 were children.
Farhan Haq, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, warned on Thursday, “There’s a prospect of huge levels of humanitarian suffering, including potential starvations that could worsen if the conflict gets worse.”
Israeli journalist Hoda Abdel-Hamid observed that Netanyahu’s remarks to the American media sounded more restrained than prior reports in Israeli outlets about plans for a full-blown occupation.
Still, the comments raise key questions about what comes next who will govern Gaza, how hostages will be rescued, and how long Israel will remain inside the territory. The answers remain unclear as political divisions deepen and Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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