Israel To Take Control Of All Of Gaza, But Netanyahu Claims Not Forever

There have been reports all week which have said that Israel is now intent on conquering and occupying the whole of the Gaza Strip, and when asked about it Tuesday Presdient Trump responded, “It is going to be pretty much up to Israel.”

In a fresh Thursday report, Axios writes that Trump “does not oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to launch a new military operation to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, U.S. and Israeli officials say.” There’s been some nuance in Netanyahu’s position, however, as he’s sought to distance himself from claims that he’s planning a permanent occupation by Israeli forces.

Source: Israeli army via Reuters

“We intend to,” Netanyahu affirmed to Fox News when asked if he aims to take over the whole the strip. But then he said it would eventually be given over to a responsibly governing entitiy. 

“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body,” he said.

Also, Netanyahu’s office has told Axios, “We are not willing to remain in the current limbo and we are not willing to surrender to Hamas’ demands — so essentially only one option is left, to take a drastic step. This is the last card we have left.”

Critics and skeptics have said Israel has long been deceptive at many points about its war aims. The whole counter-Hamas operation was launched with limited goals initially articulated, centered on taking out Hamas leadership and gaining the liberation of all captives – but the scope of operations have clearly shifted and been extended.

Military leadership has taken a more cautious approach, warning that efforts to permanently control Gaza would be falling into a “trap” – as we reported earlier.

Kan News public broadcaster previously stated “The prime minister’s direction is to go and conquer the Gaza Strip.” 

The Israeli military’s (IDF) chief of staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, has argued in a closed-door cabinet meeting that this “will significantly endanger their lives and cause the army to burn out.” 

Aerial view showing utter destruction of the Gaza Strip…

The past year has seen Netanyahu clarify to political allies and opponets alike that he’s opting for a military solution. Criticis have said he’s putting the remaining hostages in danger.

As for what group might one day take over, it is entirely doubtul that any Palestinian body – such as the Palestinian Authority – will actually be allowed to step in and govern by Israel. This is indeed a recipe for permanent occupation and annexation.