Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the IDF will continue to control the Gaza Strip after the current war, rejecting the reliance on international forces for border security.
He said this while addressing the Mayors of Gaza border towns on Friday at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu added that Israel will not rely on international forces to control Gaza Strip.
However, the Prime Minister did not elaborate on whether the control of the Gaza Strip would be for a longer time or for a shorter period.
US officials have suggested the possibility of an international force managing security temporarily, with the hope of returning control to a functioning Palestinian government.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has indicated readiness to retake control but insists on it being part of a comprehensive political solution based on 1967 borders.
Abbas accuses Israel of “genocide” in Gaza and calls for an international peace conference to end Israeli control of Palestinian territories.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry in Gaza has today said that Palestinian death toll in the war has surpassed 11,000 people.
The ministry said that 11,078 people had been killed since Israel began bombardment on October 7 when Hamas had retaliated to decades long occupational crimes by Israel.
The deaths include 4,506 children, the ministry’s statement said, adding that 21 hospitals had gone out of service and 47 health centers were out of services.
