Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Tuesday that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will not take place until the militant group Hamas is disarmed and its remaining tunnels are destroyed.
He made the remarks during a press conference, one day after the remains of the last hostage still held in Gaza were recovered. In his public appearance, Netanyahu also rejected suggestions that Israel would allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza, stating: “That did not happen, and it will not happen.”
The Israeli prime minister also reiterated his position that Turkish and Qatari troops should not be part of any international security force in Gaza.
During the press conference, Netanyahu further stated that Israel would manage the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. He recalled that Israel had previously warned that Rafah would initially be opened only for the movement of people, while goods would continue to enter Gaza through crossings from Israel.
However, Israeli authorities have not provided details on who would be eligible to cross through the border point, and it also remains unclear when humanitarian aid from Egypt will be allowed to enter the Palestinian enclave.
In closing, Netanyahu issued another warning to Tehran, saying that his government would respond “with a force Iran has not yet seen” should it decide to attack Israel.
