Netanyahu says Israel will retain open-ended control of security in Gaza long after war with Hamas

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Netanyahu says Israel will retain open-ended control of security in Gaza long after war with Hamas

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY AND JACK JEFFERY
Updated 2:39 PM EST, December 5, 2023

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel said Tuesday that its troops had entered Gaza’s second-largest city as intensified bombardment sent streams of ambulances and cars racing to hospitals with wounded and dead Palestinians, including children, in a bloody new phase of the war.

The military said its forces were “in the heart” of Khan Younis, which has emerged as the first target in the expanded ground offensive into southern Gaza that Israel says aims to destroy Hamas. Military officials said they were engaged in the “most intense day” of battles since the ground offensive began more than five weeks ago, with heavy firefights also taking place in northern Gaza.

In other developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would have to retain open-ended security control over the Gaza Strip long after the war ends.

Netanyahu said Gaza would have to be demilitarized and that the only body capable of ensuring that would be the Israeli military.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-05-2023-8f171da297b565e28156b88d1fc250b1

[Chainfire]

1. Is that another way of saying that they are going to permanently occupy Gaza?

All Hail Netanyahu the conqueror.

[2naSalit]

2. Pretty much.

He's basically saying he'll be annexing all Palestinian land and we will be paying the bills.

[Lithos]

3. No, it means that Hamas will become a permanent part of the political scenery

This will not endear Israel to the hearts and minds of the Palestinians - this will be their permanent Iraq and Afghanistan and Hamas or worse will be the default response. I can already see that Israel is focusing on "body counts" which harken back to the US management of Vietnam.

The Powell Doctrine is right - any decisive application of force must also have a clear exit strategy once it is done. Else, you will be mired down in the type of war you are likely not prepared for.