By Evgenia Filimianova
Contributing Writer
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel plans to establish full military control over the Gaza Strip, with the goal of eventually transferring authority to a local security force capable of governing the territory effectively, without the influence of Hamas.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu was asked whether Israel would take control of the entire 26-mile-long coastal enclave.
“We intend to, in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas there,” he responded.
Netanyahu said that once Hamas is removed, governance in Gaza would be handed over to civilian authorities not aligned with the terrorist group Hamas or groups seeking the destruction of Israel.
“We want to liberate ourselves and liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas,” he said.
Netanyahu is expected to meet with his security cabinet on Thursday to direct the military on the next steps to meet his goals in Gaza.
On Monday, he said that Israel’s goals in Gaza include defeating the enemy, releasing hostages, and ensuring that Gaza would never again threaten Israel.
United Nations officials have opposed a possible expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
“This would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza,” U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca said on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump said that decisions about Israel’s potential military control of the enclave were a matter for the Israeli government.
According to U.S. officials, the focus of the Trump administration is to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, release Israeli hostages, and remove Hamas from governance.
