Israel’s War Cabinet Meets Post-Blinken Visit: Debating ‘Day After’ Strategies
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Israeli war cabinet is set to deliberate a Qatari proposal that would involve the deportation of Hamas leaders and the release of all hostages captured by the terrorist organization in exchange for a full withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza according to Israeli Channel 13 which cited sources close to officials in Doha, Qatar.
On Wednesday night, the war cabinet convened to deliberate on the sensitive issue of ‘Day After’ strategies for Gaza, following the conclusion of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s two-day visit to Israel earlier that day.
Sky News Arabia reported that Hamas has expressed opposition to the Qatari proposal, insisting that any agreement not recognizing their governance over the Gaza Strip is unacceptable. Furthermore, Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas’s political bureau, declared that Israel “will never get their hostages back unless all our prisoners in the occupation prisons are released.”
The United States and Israel have reached a consensus that Hamas will not govern Gaza following the conclusion of the Simchat Torah War.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on a video posted on social media Wednesday night that Israel “does not plan to occupy Gaza indefinitely or displace its civilian population.” This statement counters the demands of some hard-right ministers who have been advocating for the reconstruction of Israeli settlements in the territory and promoting the emigration of Palestinians.
“I want to make a few points absolutely clear,” Netanyahu said. “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law. The IDF is doing its utmost to minimize civilian casualties, while Hamas is doing its utmost to maximize them by using Palestinian civilians as human shields.”
“Our goal is to rid Gaza of Hamas terrorists and free our hostages. Once this is achieved, Gaza can be demilitarized and deradicalized, thereby creating a possibility for a better future for Israel and Palestinians alike,” Netanyahu concluded.
The video statement was released just one day prior to the scheduled convening of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where it will hear South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.
Channel 13 also reported on Tuesday that a high-ranking official from the IDF has returned to Israel following a visit to Egypt. During this visit, talks were held regarding the increase of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and deliberations on the post-conflict scenario in the Philadelphi corridor.
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