Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has affirmed that the conflict with Hamas will persist for an extended period, underscoring that a ceasefire will not be considered until all 140 remaining hostages are freed from Gaza.
Israel aims to retain indefinite security control over Gaza even after the cessation of hostilities, in defiance of the United States, which advocates a two-state solution leading to eventual statehood for Palestine.
Netanyahu emphasized the necessity for Israel to maintain open-ended security control over the Gaza Strip, expressing that alternative agreements would not ensure the demilitarization required. The Israeli leader asserted during a news conference on Saturday that the military foothold in southern Gaza near the Egypt border must remain in Israeli hands.
Citing concerns of weapons smuggling by Hamas through the Egyptian border, Israel faces opposition from Egypt regarding any Israeli military presence in that area. Additionally, Netanyahu has categorically opposed the involvement of the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza post-war.
This stance has created friction between Netanyahu and the US, as the Biden administration and the Israeli government grapple over the governance of Gaza after the conflict. While the US advocates for a unified Palestinian government overseeing both Gaza and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a precursor to statehood, Netanyahu has avoided discussions within his War Cabinet on post-war scenarios, according to Israeli media.
Simultaneously, Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza resulted in the death of at least 35 people on Sunday, as the military targeted various areas in the territory. Netanyahu's declaration that the war will endure for "many more months" has led to international calls for a ceasefire, which Israel has resisted.
The conflict has heightened concerns of a broader Middle Eastern conflict, with the possibility of Hezbollah from Lebanon and Houthis from Yemen joining Hamas in their struggle against Israel. In a separate incident, the US military reported intercepting two anti-ship ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, followed by the thwarting of a subsequent attack on the same ship by four boats.
As Israel seeks to dismantle Hamas' governance and military capabilities in Gaza, tensions persist in the region, raising fears of a protracted and complex geopolitical crisis.
(With Agency Inputs)
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