by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) clashed on Wednesday over the future governance of the Gaza Strip after the current war with Hamas, exposing divisions within the ruling Israeli coalition government.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must clearly declare that Israel will not rule over Gaza after the war. In response, Netanyahu remarked earlier that it made no sense to discuss the post-war situation, calling such talk “empty words as long as Hamas rules Gaza.”
In a televised statement released Wednesday evening, Gallant urged Netanyahu to make “tough decisions” about Israel’s exit strategy from the Gaza Strip, pressing him to commit to not restoring Israeli governance, either military or civil, over the coastal enclave.
Gallant described military rule as “a bad alternative, which is strategically dangerous for Israel.” He urged Netanyahu to declare that Israel will not maintain civilian or military control in the Gaza Strip. “We must make difficult decisions in favor of the national consideration, even if this involves personal and political costs,” he stated.
The defense minister claimed that the defense establishment presented a plan that Netanyahu refused to discuss. “Since October, I have been raising the issues in the cabinet without a response,” he said. “The day after the war will only be achieved by Palestinian control with international support, serving as an alternative to Hamas. This is an Israeli national interest. No decision is also a decision,” he emphasized.
Netanyahu responded to Gallant, saying, “I am not willing to exchange Hamastan for Fatahstan,” in a video statement, referring to Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas’s ruling Fatah Party.
The premier reiterated that the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority “supports terrorism, teaches terrorism, and funds terrorism.” Addressing criticism by Gallant and the Biden administration regarding the lack of an exit plan for Gaza, he added, “The first condition for ‘the day after’ is to eliminate Hamas, with no excuses.”
The Biden administration has insisted that an “effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority” should ultimately govern the Gaza Strip. However, Netanyahu has rejected this move due to Ramallah’s support for and history of terrorism.
The Israeli government is set to discuss a proposal for military administration of the Gaza Strip for six months to a year after the war, according to Kan News. The plan involves civilian rule through the IDF Civil Administration and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, with local Arab companies providing services. Israel is also considering a gradual transfer of control to local bodies not deemed hostile to the Jewish state.
In an interview, Netanyahu said he aims to establish a rule “by Gazans who are not committed to our destruction, possibly with the aid of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other countries that I think want to see stability and peace.”
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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