Netanyahu gives mixed messages about Israel’s future in Gaza

The Israeli Prime minister seems to be giving a slightly different prediction of the extent of Israel’s control over Gaza with each interview or appearance. 

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave mixed–if not somewhat contradictory–statements recently about the future of Gaza after the war. 

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, having to strike a balance between diplomacy and leadership, seems to be giving mixed messages about the future of Israel’s role in the Gaza Strip. 

On Thursday night, Netanyahu told Fox News that he had no intention of occupying Gaza after the war, yet a day later in other venues he’s indicated that Israel will retain “full security control” over the coastal enclave.

In the Fox News interview, Netanyahu said, “We don’t seek to conquer Gaza. We don’t seek to occupy Gaza. And we don’t seek to govern Gaza.”

However, he added that his view wasn’t fully in line with the Biden Administration in insisting that the Palestinian Authority control Gaza after the war. 

But the Israeli premier’s comments on Fox News contrast with what Netanyahu told ABC News earlier in the week, when he said that Israel would maintain full security responsibility in the Gaza Strip for the foreseeable future. 

Later in the Fox News interview, Netanyahu described a scenario in which Israel would take an active role in Gaza, including eliminating threats to Israel’s security. He said, “In the foreseeable future… We have to have a credible force that, if necessary, will enter Gaza and kill the killers. That’s what will prevent the emergence of another Hamas-like entity.”

Netanyahu’s statements about the extent of Israel’s control in Gaza in the post-war period were even more assertive when he addressed council leaders of Gaza adjacent communities called Tekuma. The Prime Minister said, according to Arutz Sheva, “After the elimination of Hamas, there will be total Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip, including full demilitarization, to ensure that there is no longer a threat from Gaza to the citizens of Israel.”