“Kill the murderers”
Netanyahu does not want to occupy the Gaza Strip
November 10, 2023, 7:13 a.m
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The Israeli armed forces are preparing for long fighting in the Gaza Strip. Neighboring states warn against long-term occupation. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has now declared that he does not want to conquer the war zone. The goal is different.
According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has no intention of ruling or occupying the Gaza Strip. “I think the Israeli army is doing an exceptionally good job,” Netanyahu said on US television channel Fox News. “We don’t want to rule the Gaza Strip. We don’t want to occupy it. But we want to give it and ourselves a better future,” the head of government added.
And for this to happen, Hamas must be defeated. Netanyahu said he had not set a timetable for this, “because it may take more time.” “We must destroy Hamas, not just for our sake, but for the sake of the people. For the sake of civilization, for the sake of Palestinians and Israelis alike.” The Gaza Strip must be demilitarized, de-radicalized and rebuilt.
A civilian government must be formed in the Gaza Strip. Israel must also ensure that there will not be another deadly attack like the one on October 7th. “So we need credible forces that, if necessary, will enter the Gaza Strip and kill the murderers. This is the only way we can prevent the resurgence of a Hamas-like organization,” said Netanyahu.
Israel does not want a ceasefire
With regard to the fighting, Netanyahu said that the Israeli army was operating “extraordinarily well (…) against the terrorists on the ground and underground.” The army will “continue until we wipe out Hamas” and “nothing will stop us,” he affirmed. Netanyahu once again rejected a ceasefire without the hostages being released.
Fighters from the radical Islamic group Hamas invaded Israel on October 7th and committed serious atrocities against civilians. According to Israeli information, around 1,400 people were killed and around 240 people were abducted to the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli military, some of the hostages are in the hands of Islamic Jihad.
In response to the attack, Israel declared war on Hamas and has been attacking targets in the Gaza Strip ever since. According to information from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 10,800 people have been killed so far.
9,500 projectiles have been fired towards Israel since the start of the war
According to the Israeli armed forces, 9,500 rockets and mortar shells as well as dozens of drones have been fired towards Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war. Since the ground operations in the Gaza Strip, the number of shootings has decreased significantly, the military said. The army did not explicitly say whether bullets from Lebanon, Yemen and Syria were also counted.
Twelve percent of all projectiles landed in the Gaza Strip itself, which is controlled by the Islamist Hamas. Around 900 were fired from civilian locations, including mosques, schools and hospitals.