Prime Minister Netanyahu Reveals Israel's Plan To Control Security In Gaza Strip After War

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Wikimedia Commons/US Department of State)

JAKARTA - Israel plans to maintain security control in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, after its military operations there, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"Regarding all talks about the 'day after', that day will only happen after Hamas is eradicated. Gaza will be demilitarized and there will be no more threats against Israel from the Gaza Strip," he told a news conference.

PM Netanyahu further said Israeli forces had the right to take action to stop any threats to Israel from the enclave.

"To guarantee there will be no threats, whenever necessary, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will continue to carry out security control in the Gaza Strip, ensuring terrorism will not come from there, as the October 7 attacks are proven, wherever there is no control of Israel, there will be threats. This is also proven in Judea and Samaria (Israel's designation for the West Bank), which is why I will not compromise security control under any circumstances," he explained.

When asked who would carry out civilian control in the Gaza Strip, PM Netanyahu said no radical groups should rule there.

"I want to emphasize once again, security control implies the ability (for Israeli troops) to enter whenever we want to eliminate threats that may arise again and start threatening Israel. I will tell you what will not happen. There will be no Hamas, nor will there be no civilian authority educating their children to hate Israel, kill Israelis, eliminate the State of Israel," he stressed.

Last week, PM Netanyahu said for the first time publicly that Israel was not trying to displacing civilians from Gaza or occupying the enclave, dismissed regional concerns.

"We don't mean to displace anyone," PM Netanyahu told Fox News, citing The Times of Israel.

On the occasion, PM Netanyahu also provided new details about Israel's vision of what Gaza would look like after the war.

"What we have to look at is demilitarized Gaza, deradicalized, and rebuilt. All that can be achieved," he explained.

"We are not trying to conquer Gaza. We are not trying to occupy Gaza. And we are not trying to rule Gaza," Netanyahu added.

Earlier, in an interview with ABC News he said Israel would have an "ensell security responsibility" over the Gaza Strip "for an indefinite period of time" after the war against Hamas ended.

"But what I hope for is the rebuilding of Gaza for Gazans," said PM Netanyahu.