Gantz called for a six-point plan including the demilitarization of Gaza, the return of Israeli hostages and the establishment of multinational governance over the region, which is home to more than half a million Palestinians.
Netanyahu said Gantz’s demands were nothing more than “unusable words” that would mean “Israel’s defeat.” The Israeli government has intensified its military campaign in Gaza, ordering troops into the southern city of Rafah, despite calls from the US, EU and humanitarian organizations against a ground invasion of the city.
With the Israel-Hamas conflict now in its eighth month, concerns are growing that Netanyahu has no clear end goal in sight. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday called on the prime minister to publicly confirm that Israel will not take military control of the Gaza Strip, but said he had received no response.
On Sunday morning, Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Martrys Hospital issued a statement reporting that 20 people were killed and several others injured in an airstrike in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Palestinian rescuers are searching for missing people trapped under the rubble, it says.
According to the UN, 35,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive last year following the October 7 Hamas attacks that killed 1,139 Israelis. Israeli officials dispute the tally and have vowed to drive the Islamic militant group from power.
Politices
