In a recent interview with ABC News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared an indefinite Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip, despite the Biden administration's appeals against occupation.
This comes as Israel intensifies its ground assault and airstrikes in Gaza, aiming to dismantle Hamas, which Netanyahu stated had killed over 1,400 Israelis and abducted hundreds of civilians on October 7.
During the interview, ABC's David Muir questioned Netanyahu on the future governance of Gaza, to which the Prime Minister responded, "Israel will, for an indefinite period, have the overall security responsibility." He further explained the necessity of this decision, stating, "We've seen what happened when we don't have that what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale we couldn't imagine."
President Joe Biden had previously warned in October that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a "big mistake," as reported by The New York Times. The Biden administration has been urging Israel to halt its counteroffensive operations temporarily to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza's civilian population.
However, Netanyahu dismissed the possibility of a general ceasefire unless all hostages held by Hamas are released. He asserted, "The question of a ceasefire, the president himself said that a ceasefire would be a surrender to Hamas. There will be no general ceasefire in Gaza without the release of our hostages."
The Prime Minister also addressed potential threats from Hezbollah, a terror group based in Lebanon and positioned against Israel's northern border, and Iran, known for its support and direction of various terror groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah. Netanyahu warned, "I think they've understood that if they enter the war in a significant way, the response will be very, very powerful. I hope they don't make that mistake."
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