Gaza’s future does not include a prolonged stay of Israel in the Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this when speaking about the war against Hamas in an exclusive interview with Fox News. “I think it is clear what the future of Gaza must be. Hamas must be destroyed for the good of all, for the good of civilization and for the good of the Palestinians and the Israelis”, he underlined, reiterating that Israel does not “try to govern Gaza: We are not trying to occupy, but to give them and us a better future. What we want is a demilitarized, deradicalized and rebuilt Gaza” he said. “This requires the defeat of Hamas. I set goals. I haven’t set a timetable because it can take longer.”
Netanyahu admitted that the operations had not progressed at the pace he had initially expected, but characterized the support of the US Congress and Biden as “very, very important” to the overall success of the IDF operations. “It’s taking a little longer than I hoped,” Netanyahu said
The Israeli prime minister then insisted that ceasefire is not an option. “A ceasefire with Hamas means surrender to Hamas, surrender to terror and the victory of the Iranian terror axis, so there will be no ceasefire without the release of the Israeli hostages,” she said.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health reported that more than 10,000 people have died, with many more injured as a result of IDF shelling aimed at killing Hamas officers and operating bases, including its vast network of tunnel that exists throughout Gaza City.
Critics, including President Biden, have questioned the numbers reported by the ministry, with some reports pointing out that the ministry makes no distinction between civilians and combatants in its counts, and Netanyahu this week claimed that the IDF killed” thousands” of terrorists. “The army is fighting terrorists both above ground and underground,” Netanyahu said. “We are doing everything in our power to reduce civilian casualties. We have managed safe zones and corridors so that civilians can escape to safety, even if Hamas is trying to detain them.”
The prime minister said 50,000 people left Gaza City, in the northern part of the Strip, for the southern safe zone two days ago, and another 70,000 on the day of the interview. Meanwhile, Hamas militants have been trying to hold back civilians in the north. “Not only do they kill and maim, they rape and murder women, they burn children alive, they take small children, babies, the elderly hostage. Not only do they do this, but they target their own civilians, using them as human shields,” Netanyahu complained.
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