Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, said on May 19th that his country is going take complete control of the Gaza Strip as the ongoing war on the enclave continues, according to Middle East Eye.
Netanyahu said over video: “The fighting is intense, and we are making progress. We’re going to take control of the entire Gaza Strip.”
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir opposed aid resumption in his X post, according to Le Monde on May 19th. Gvir stated: “Mr Prime Minister, our hostages receive no humanitarian aid.” He added “The Prime Minister is making a serious mistake in this move, and he has no majority at all. Hamas must only be crushed, and not at the same time provided with oxygen for its survival.”
The prime minister said that Israel would not back down and that his country must act so that it cannot be defeated. But he also stressed that his country should not allow Gaza to face famine for reasons that are “practical” and “diplomatic”.
Netanyahu disclosed that close allies, such as US senators that support his nation, called on him to permit some aid to prevent starvation images. After his statement, Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition members condemned his choice to permit limited aid into the Gaza Strip.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich supported Netanyahu’s orders, saying army tactics will be “different from what it used to be.” He also said: “No aid is going to Hamas, period. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. The population will reach the south of the Gaza Strip and from there to third countries.”
The far-right minister emphasized that “[i]t will not reach Hamas.” He added: “It will allow citizens to eat and our friends in the world to continue to provide us with an international umbrella of protection against the Security Council and the Hague Court.”
These comments came as international legal pressure on Israel’s leadership has intensified. Al-Monitor reported on May 12th, Israel requested that the International Criminal Court (ICC) cancels arrest warrants against Netanyahu and ex-defence minister Yoav Gallant.
In a 14-page document Israel claimed the warrants were invalid. The ICC stated it had found “reasonable grounds” to hold Netanyahu and Gallant accountable for “criminal responsibility,” for war crimes in Gaza.
Le Monde, Middle East Eye, Al-Monitor
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