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Hamas calls Benjamin Netanyahu's intention of taking over Gaza a ‘coup’: ‘To serve his personal interest’
Hamas' statement comes amid Benjamin Netanyahu stating that Israel intends to take over Gaza in order to ‘ensure our security’
Hamas has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments on taking full military control of the Gaza Strip "a coup" amid the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
This comes amid Netanyahu stating that Israel intends to take over Gaza in order to ‘ensure our security’
"Netanyahu's plans to escalate the aggression confirm beyond any doubt his desire to get rid of the captives and sacrifice them in pursuit of his personal interests and extremist ideological agenda," Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 in the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Since the start of the war, tens of thousands of Palestinians living in Gaza have been killed in the Israeli offensive, and the strip has come to the brink of starvation, according to major world bodies, including the United Nations.
Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals, but 50 remain inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.
What did Benjamin Netanyahu say about taking control of Gaza?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that to destroy Hamas, Israel intends to take full control of the Gaza Strip and eventually transfer its administration to friendly Arab forces, as the Security Cabinet discussed a widening of its 22-month offensive.
Asked in an interview with Fox News if Israel would “take control of all of Gaza,” Netanyahu replied: “We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza.”
"We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life,” Netanyahu said in the interview.
An Israeli official had earlier said the Security Cabinet would hold a lengthy debate and approve an expanded military plan to conquer all or parts of Gaza not yet under Israeli control.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that whatever is approved would be implemented gradually to increase pressure on Hamas.
