Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday night Israel “has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” rebuffing hard-right ministers’ calls to rebuild Israeli settlements in the territory and encourage Palestinian emigration, the Times of Israel reported.
The premier’s English-language video posted to social media came on the eve of the International Court of Justice hearing, a highly charged case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Pertinently, more than 23,000 Palestinians have lost life in Israel bombardment since October 7, when Hamas retaliated to decades long occupational crimes committed by Israel.
“I want to make a few points absolutely clear,” Netanyahu said. “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Israel is fighting Hamas, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law.”
“Our goal is to rid Gaza of Hamas and free our hostages. Once this is achieved, Gaza can be demilitarized and deradicalized, thereby creating a possibility for a better future for Israel and Palestinians alike.”
However, various reports suggest that the Israel has caused massive destruction of infrastructure apart from the killing of more than 22, 000 Palestinians.
