Netanyahu: ‘Israel taking responsibility for northern Gaza aid will make it easier to eliminate Hamas’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers in his government that Israel is set to take responsibility for distributing humanitarian aid in northern Gaza for a specific period, claiming that this will prevent the reorganisation of the Qassam Brigades forces in the area. Netanyahu noted that controlling humanitarian aid was the only way to eliminate the movement.

His plan will include isolating areas where the Israeli army has infiltrated, and “after there are no more” Hamas fighters, Israel will distribute humanitarian aid in the areas, according to far-right newspaper Makor Rishon on Friday.

Despite the large-scale Israeli ground invasion of the northern Gaza Strip and the destruction of large parts of it, Hamas has managed to restore its capabilities in the area and reorganise its combat brigades.

Hundreds of thousands of residents of the northern Gaza Strip are under Hamas rule, which “controls” humanitarian aid in order to establish its control, claims the newspaper.

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The newspaper added that in adopting this plan, Netanyahu employs the approach of the two extremist ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strook, who refuse to stop the war on Gaza and, along with other ministers, demand its expansion and settlements in the Strip.

The newspaper also reported that Netanyahu confirmed the acceptability of the ministers’ position and stated during the government meeting this week: “The finance minister (Smotrich) is right in discussing the form of distributing humanitarian aid.”

It quoted Smotrich as saying that implementing the plan: “Will be a strategic shift that accelerates the war and takes the military effort to its maximum limit on the way to completely eliminating Hamas and returning the kidnapped soldiers,” noting that military experts and analysts, as well as the Israeli army, acknowledge that there is no possibility of eliminating Hamas.

Makor Rishon pointed out that Netanyahu’s plan, which assumes the approaches of Smotrich and Strook, “contradicts” Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi’s position, as Gallant demanded that Netanyahu declare that Israel will not have civilian control in Gaza. He pushed a plan that stipulates that the Gaza Strip will be ruled by a party other than Hamas.

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