‘We don’t want to govern Gaza’: Netanyahu clarifies stance; says goal is security perimeter, not permanent control
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said his government has no intention of permanently occupying or governing Gaza, despite speculation that a major military push could lead to a full reentry into the Palestinian territory for the first time since 2005.Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said, “We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it.” The statement appears to counter reports that Israel may be preparing to fully reoccupy Gaza in a bid to root out Hamas. Netanyahu emphasized that while Israel seeks to ensure Hamas cannot regroup, it does not want to stay in the territory long-term.Since the October 7 Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages, Israel has launched a massive military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.Dozens more killed in GazaAt least 29 Palestinians were killed in southern Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported that 12 of the dead were people trying to reach aid near a distribution point supported by a US- and Israeli-backed contractor. Fifty others were wounded, many from gunfire, the hospital said, AP reported.The Israeli military did not immediately comment but has accused Hamas of using aid sites for cover.Rare protest by Bedouin women over activist’s bodyIn a separate development, Israel returned the body of Awdah Al Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist allegedly shot by a radical settler, after female Bedouin relatives launched a hunger strike. The protest — rare for traditionally private Bedouin mourning customs — came after Israel initially refused to return the body, citing fears of “public disorder.”Mourners said Israel set up checkpoints to restrict access to Al Hathaleen’s funeral, despite easing some conditions. His death, caught on video, has intensified tensions over settler violence in the West Bank.
