Israel-Hamas War: PM Netanyahu Hints At 'Indefinite Overall Security Control' In Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict

In a recent interview with ABC News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed that Israel intends to assume "overall security responsibility" in Gaza indefinitely, following the month-long conflict with Hamas.

This statement is the strongest indication yet that Israel plans to maintain control over the Gaza Strip. The ongoing conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties and widespread destruction in the region.

As reported by Economic Times, Netanyahu expressed a willingness to allow "little pauses" in the fighting to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza and the release of over 240 hostages held by Hamas since their 7 October attack into Israel, which triggered the conflict.

However, he firmly rejected a general cease-fire without the release of all hostages, and there was no immediate agreement on U.S. President Joe Biden's call for a broader humanitarian pause.

The conflict has taken a devastating toll, with airstrikes reducing entire city blocks to rubble, and approximately 70 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people fleeing their homes.

Israeli forces have been engaged in intense battles with Palestinian militants in Gaza, dividing the territory and encircling Gaza City. Food, medicine, fuel, and water supplies are dwindling, while United Nations-run shelters are overcrowded.

The Palestinian death toll, as reported by the Health Ministry in Gaza, has exceeded 10,000, including over 4,100 minors.

In Israel, around 1,400 people have lost their lives, mainly civilians in the initial incursion by Hamas on 7 October.

Israel's stated objective is to remove Hamas from power and eliminate its military capabilities. However, both Israel and its primary ally, the United States, have yet to outline the post-conflict scenario for Gaza.

Netanyahu suggested that Gaza should be governed by those "who don't want to continue the way of Hamas," without elaborating further on this point.

Since Hamas took control in 2007, Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza.

Israel asserts that the blockade is necessary to prevent Hamas from rearming, while Palestinians and human rights groups view it as a form of collective punishment.

At present, the focus of Israel's military operations is in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, which previously housed approximately 650,000 people.

The military claims that Hamas has an extensive militant infrastructure in the city, including a vast tunnel network, and accuses them of using civilians as human shields.

The conflict has also escalated tensions beyond Gaza, with Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group exchanging fire along the border.

While some humanitarian aid has entered Gaza from Egypt, it is far from meeting the mounting needs of the region. Egypt's Rafah Crossing has also been opened to allow foreign passport holders and medical patients to leave Gaza.

The situation remains critical, with the prospects for a lasting ceasefire and the future governance of Gaza still uncertain.