On Monday Mr. Netanyahu returned to the question of Gaza’s governance. His remarks came as the Israel Defense Forces moved to reclaim control of the strip from Hamas, pushing deep into the 140-square-mile territory. Israeli forces have cut the north from the south and encircled Gaza City, and are closing in on the command base at Shifa hospital, where they believe Hamas leadership is bunkered.
“I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, have the overall security responsibility, because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t,” Mr. Netanyahu told ABC News.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shot back on Wednesday. There should be “no reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends,” he said, speaking from the Group of Seven summit in Japan. Other conditions, he said, include no “attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza” and no “reduction of the territory of Gaza.” Last week Mr. Blinken told the Senate Appropriations Committee of his hopes for a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority governing Gaza after Israel concludes its military campaign.
For the Israelis, this is déjà vu. The Palestinian Authority assumed control after the 2005 pullout, only to be ousted in a violent coup by Hamas two years later. The Israelis can’t be asked to roll the dice again. The Gaza exit failed to deliver either the public-relations or national-security benefits that its proponents promised in 2005. Instead the strip became a launchpad for death and destruction. There’s no reason to believe a do-over would produce different or better results.
Approved – Sully
DGM
Article URL : https://www.wsj.com/articles/israeli-control-is-the-least-bad-option-in-gaza-middle-east-fa220185?st=7vxovo2u6h3sxly