“The occupation (of Gaza) is the goal that Netanyahu is fighting for, even at the cost of the deaths of the remaining (Israeli) hostages and at the risk of a regional war,” said Aluf Benn, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, who noted that the Prime Minister wants to keep the Netzarim and Philadelphia corridors under military control.
Benn recalled that this week Netanyahu described both axes as a strategic resource that provides security to the country. Controlling the Philadelphia Corridor allows Israel to surround the territory from its three land sides and isolate it from Egypt, while maintaining the Netzarim axis helps continue the expulsion of Palestinians from the northern area, he said.
“The Israeli right covets the region for Jewish settlements, with its enormous real estate capabilities, including a comfortable topography, a sea view and its proximity to Tel Aviv and its region,” he stressed.
Although the issue of the Israelis captured by Palestinian militias is considered a central issue in Israel, Netanyahu sees it as “a source of media damage, a tool for disputes in the hands of his opponents and a distraction from the objective: the occupation of Gaza,” the journalist said.
Benn considered that after the experience of 57 years of occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, this will be a long process that will require a lot of patience and the capacity for diplomatic maneuver. “The Israeli government will not establish a large Jewish city in Gaza tomorrow, but will develop one plan after another,” he said, adding that according to this vision, southern Gaza will remain under the control of Hamas, which will be forced to look after a population that will lack everything and will be under permanent Israeli siege.
Netanyahu estimates that after the US presidential elections, the influence of pro-Palestinian protesters in US politics will fade, even if Kamala Harris wins, the journalist said.
“During this week’s government meeting, Netanyahu repeated his 1996 election slogan against the Oslo Accords, ‘negotiations, not concessions.’ This means that an occupied zone will not be returned, even under international pressure,” Benn said.
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