Netanyahu: Egypt turned Gaza into an open prison

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Egypt of turning the besieged Gaza Strip into “an open prison” by “preventing the Palestinian from leaving the enclave.”

In an interview with Fox News aired on Saturday, Netanyahu told Mark Levin: “It is time for Egypt to give the Palestinians the opportunity to leave Gaza,” stressing the need to find an “alternative” country for them.

“Some used to accuse us of turning Gaza into a big prison, but now they reject [US President] Trump’s idea of ​​getting them out of this prison,” he said, describing Trump’s proposal to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians from Gaza into “neighbouring countries” as “a wonderful idea”.

“Israel will allow Palestinians who renounce terrorism to return to Gaza after its reconstruction,” he claimed, adding that Tel Aviv “has no better friend than the United States, and now, under Trump, Washington has no greater friend than Israel.”

The prime minister did not mention or address Israel’s 17-year siege on Gaza, during which time Israel controlled who and what entered the enclave, banning even some basic building equipment and leaving the enclave “uninhabitable” according to the UN.

Netanyahu also praised Trump’s leadership and his impact on the US-Israel alliance.

Read: Egypt to host emergency Arab summit on Palestine

“I believe that President Trump is the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. He is not only making a tremendous change in the Israeli-American alliance, he is strengthening it beyond anything we have seen so far, but he is also a great leader for America and the world,” he added.

Since returning to office less than a month ago, Trump has lifted a ban on the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel and waved the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, allowing both to visit the US.

“In the first two weeks, he did everything he had promised,” Netanyahu said. “He opposed anti-Semitism, he opposed the International Criminal Court (ICC), this corrupt international court that targets the United States, Israel, and democracies.”

Netanyahu visited Washington last week, on his first international trip since the ICC issued arrest warrants on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

“The United States will take control of the Gaza Strip, and we expect to have long-term ownership there,” Trump said last week, adding that Washington  would be responsible for removing unexploded bombs and weapons, levelling the area, demolishing destroyed buildings and creating jobs for young people and implementing comprehensive economic reforms in Gaza.

Palestinians, he added, would be moved to Jordan, Egypt and any other country that would be willing to accept them.