Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has affirmed that following the resolution of the current conflict with Hamas, Israel will maintain security control over the Gaza Strip. During a press conference in Tel Aviv on Thursday, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel would exercise "complete security control and control of whatever enters Gaza."
Over the past two days, Israeli forces have successfully targeted and neutralized "dozens" of militants in the Palestinian enclave, simultaneously destroying rocket launchers, as reported by the Xinhua news agency. Netanyahu declared, "The war continues on all fronts... until we achieve total victory." He pointed to the recently revised wartime budget, totaling 582 billion shekels (approximately $155 billion), with an additional 55 billion shekels allocated for defense. This funding, he stated, empowers the military to accomplish the war's objectives and secure victory.
Anticipating a prolonged conflict, Netanyahu remarked that the war is likely to persist for "many months." Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has sustained its intensive bombardment of Gaza since its initiation on October 7, 2023, prompted by a Hamas attack that resulted in around 1,200 deaths in Israel.
As of Thursday, the Gaza-based Health Ministry reported a Palestinian death toll of 24,620 due to the ongoing Israeli attacks on the strip. The situation remains highly fluid, with both sides entrenched in their positions.
(With Agency Inputs)
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