Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Monday that the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs small parts of the West Bank, will not control Gaza after the war.
“As I have promised: the day after the war in Gaza there will be no Hamas and no Palestinian Authority. I am committed to US President (Donald) Trump's plan to create a different Gaza,” the president said in a brief statement.
The message comes on the same day that Netanyahu is scheduled to convene his government's security cabinet to to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which should have started to be negotiated in early February, and in which the remaining living hostages in the Strip would be released and the foundations would be laid for the definitive end of the war.
The chain Sky News Arabia assured this Sunday that Hamas is willing to hand over control of the Strip to the PA, after Egypt pressured the group to approve the establishment of a temporary committee to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, one of the key points of the ceasefire.
Israel has been insisting for months that it will not accept Hamas continuing to rule Gaza, but neither will the PA, which was the preferred choice of former US President Joe Biden to take over.
Last night, Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to Trump's plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, following a meeting in Jerusalem with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“We are committed to common goals. Not only the release of the hostages, the elimination of Hamas and, of course, ensuring that Gaza never again becomes a threat to Israel, but also the president’s plan that says there will be a completely different Gaza,” said the president during a meeting of his government.