Netanyahu’s advisor said: Israel does not want to rule Gaza after the war

New Delhi (Uttam Hindu News): An Israeli government official said on Tuesday that Israel is not thinking of occupying Gaza after the end of the ongoing war with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. “We do not want to occupy Gaza and rule Gaza,” Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said in an online media briefing on the war. “However, we insist that Gaza must be demilitarized.” The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 in massacres in towns and villages in the south of the country and firing rockets at Israel.

Middle East media cited the Hamas-run health ministry as saying that more than 12,000 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli retaliatory air strikes and the coastal enclave siege. Regev said that after removing Hamas from the area, a Palestinian government can be formed in the future. He said, “Hamas has brought poverty to the people of Gaza by causing bloodshed.” Regev said Israel’s international partners would like to rebuild Gaza. He said that Arab countries would be part of the reconstruction process.

Hamas has no friends in the Arab world except Qatar, he said, referring to the country where Hamas’ leadership reportedly lives. An Israeli victory would be a victory for those seeking peace in the region, Regev said. Even though the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have intensified their operations in Gaza after 46 days of war, the Israeli government has not clearly stated its plans for the territory after the fighting stops.

While the IDF pursues its goal of destroying Hamas infrastructure in Gaza, as it describes military operations, Israel engaged in negotiations to free approximately 238 hostages, including children and the elderly, from Hamas captivity Has happened. If behind-the-scenes talks, which also include Qatar and the United States, reach an agreement on the release of the hostages, Israel would probably agree to a short pause.

“We will agree to a temporary ceasefire if our hostages are released,” Regev said. He said international humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross were not allowed by Hamas to meet the hostages and assess their well-being. Asked whether Israel had evidence the hostages were alive, Regev said there was no information available about their condition, but Israel had gathered its own intelligence. He said the hostages should be released unconditionally.