US and Israel ‘disagree’ on future of Gaza Strip, says Netanyahu, emphasizing that Israel will not allow either Hamas or the PLO to rule the coastal enclave.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
Israel will not permit either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority to rule the Gaza Strip after the current war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, highlighting the differences between Jerusalem and Washington on the future of the coastal enclave.
In a video statement Tuesday afternoon, the prime minister lauded the Biden administration for its efforts to broker a deal to secure dozens of Israeli hostages.
“I greatly appreciate the American support for destroying Hamas and returning our hostages.”
“Following an intensive dialogue with President Biden and his team, we received full backing for the ground incursion and blocking the international pressure to stop the war.”
Netanyahu also noted, however, American opposition to Israel retaining security control over the Gaza Strip once the current ground offensive against Hamas is completed.
The Israeli premier said that Israel will not repeat the “mistake of Oslo,” a reference to the Rabin government’s decision in 1993 to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization and to hand over control of the Gaza Strip and parts of Judea and Samaria to the newly-created Palestinian Authority.
“Yes, there is disagreement about ‘the day after Hamas’ and I hope that we will reach agreement here as well.”
“I would like to clarify my position: I will not allow Israel to repeat the mistake of Oslo.”
“After the great sacrifice of our civilians and our soldiers, I will not allow the entry into Gaza of those who educate for terrorism, support terrorism and finance terrorism.”
While the U.S. has acknowledged that the Palestinian Authority is currently unable to administer the Gaza Strip and that Israel must remain in the area for a transitional period, the Biden administration has repeatedly expressed its opposition to a permanent Israeli presence in the Strip, or to Israeli plans to carve out a buffer zone.
Instead, the Biden administration has called to reform the Palestinian Authority, and ultimately restore control over the Gaza Strip to the PA – a position Netanyahu explicitly rejected Tuesday.
“Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan.”
The statement came a day after Netanyahu appeared to rebuff calls from within his own coalition government to annex Gaza and reestablish Jewish towns demolished during the 2005 Gaza Disengagement.
“We can conquer, we can annex, but at what price?” Netanyahu told a hearing of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
During the hearing, Netanyahu reiterated his belief that Israel must retain security control of the Gaza Strip to ensure no terrorist threat can emanate from the area again.
“Only the State of Israel will be responsible for the demilitarization of the Strip,” he said. “The Gulf countries will invest in reconstruction and we will have to build an entity that does not want to destroy us that will manage the civil administration there.”