During his press conference last night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said something that will have caused alarm in Washington. Asked about the future governance of the Gaza Strip, he said he opposed the return of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Quick Read
- Netanyahu’s Opposition to PA in Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to Gaza, rejecting its leadership by Mahmoud Abbas, who didn’t condemn Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
- Uncertain Future for Gaza Strip: Netanyahu raises doubts about Gaza’s future governance, asserting that the current PA shouldn’t control Gaza post-conflict.
- Israeli Goals and Invasion: Israel commits to ending Hamas’ rule in Gaza following the Oct. 7 cross-border assault, launching a full-scale invasion without specifying future governance plans.
- US-Israel Disagreement: The U.S. opposes Israeli reoccupation of Gaza, envisioning a unified Palestinian government, contrasting with Netanyahu’s rejection of PA control and insistence on Israeli security.
- Netanyahu’s Criticism of PA: Netanyahu criticizes the PA’s educational syllabus and its financial support to families of imprisoned Palestinians.
- Abbas’ Response: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounces violence but hasn’t unequivocally condemned the Oct. 7 attack.
- Gaza’s Division and Political Complexity: The PA was ousted from Gaza in 2007 by Hamas, with concerns about Abbas’ authority to reassume control.
- International Perspective: International unease grows over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Netanyahu’s stance, potentially conflicting with U.S. ally interests.
Regional Developments:
- UN Peacekeeper in Lebanon: A UN peacekeeper was shot near the Israel-Lebanon border, with the origin of gunfire under investigation.
- Pope Francis’ Appeal: Calls for immediate help for the wounded in Gaza, protection of civilians, delivery of humanitarian aid, and release of hostages taken by Hamas.
- Update on Gaza Hospitals:
- Al-Shifa Hospital: Communication lost, cardiac ward destroyed, and out of service due to fuel shortage. Israel denies attacking the hospital.
- Al-Quds Hospital: Non-operational due to fuel shortage, surrounded by Israeli tanks.
- Indonesian Hospital: Treating patients without electricity or oxygen, struggling with casualties from airstrikes.
- Rantisi and Al-Nasr Hospitals: Mostly evacuated, surrounded by Israeli tanks.
The Associated Press has the story:
Netanyahu opposes future role in Gaza for Palestinian Authority
Newslooks- Jerusalem (AP)
During his press conference last night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said something that will have caused alarm in Washington. Asked about the future governance of the Gaza Strip, he said he opposed the return of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), led by the ageing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“There will have to be something else,” he said. “There cannot be an authority who didn’t condemn the massacre (on 7 October by Hamas).”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his press conference last night.
Netanyahu has thrown up more doubts about the future of the Gaza Strip, suggesting that the Palestinian Authority in its current form should not take charge of the coastal enclave. Israel has vowed to destroy Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza, following its shock Oct. 7 cross-border assault, and has launched a full-scale invasion of the territory.
However, it has not spelt out who should rule the enclave once the conflict is over, saying only that Israel would maintain overall security. Washington has said Israel cannot occupy the enclave after the war, with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken saying last week that the Gaza administration had to be re-unified with the nearby West Bank, parts of which are run by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday that the PA could play a future role in governing the Gaza Strip, but Netanyahu indicated late Saturday he did not want the current PA rulers to be given free rein in Gaza. At a news conference, Netanyahu aired his long-standing grievances over the PA’s school syllabus, which he says fuels hatred of Israel, and its policy of giving salaries to families of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
“There will not be a civilian authority that teaches its children to … eliminate the state of Israel, there can’t be an authority that pays salaries to the families of murderers,” he said. He added: “There can’t be an authority headed by someone who, more than 30 days after the (Oct. 7) massacre, has still has not condemned (it).” He also repeated his insistence that Israel would maintain security control over Gaza. “I will not compromise on security control under any circumstances.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his press conference last night.
During his recent trip to the region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Abbas that Washington saw the PA as “playing a central role” in Gaza after the defeat of Hamas. Netanyahu has made it clear who he does not want to rule Gaza in the future: Hamas or the PA. But he has so far offered no alternative.
Abbas has denounced violence against civilians “on both sides” but has not issued an unequivocal condemnation of the Oct. 7 attack, where 1,200 people were killed and around 240 were kidnapped, mainly civilians, according to an Israeli tally. Palestinian officials say more than 11,078 Gazans had been killed by Israeli strikes over the past five weeks, about 40% of them children.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Abbas, told reporters the Israelis were seeking to perpetuate divisions between the two Palestinian territories — the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.
“Israeli attempts to separate Gaza from the West Bank will fail, and it will not be allowed, regardless of the pressures.”
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for PA President Mahmoud Abbas
The PA used to run both the West Bank and Gaza, but got ousted from the latter in 2007 after a brief civil war with Hamas. While Western governments want to involve the PA in the future of Gaza, diplomats say, there is also concern that the 87-year-old Abbas does not have sufficient authority or the support of his people to take charge. “Right now, there is no clear idea of what might happen in Gaza once the fighting stopped,” a Jerusalem-based diplomat said.
Along with growing international unease at the cost in Palestinian lives of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, Netanyahu’s rejection of a role for the PA puts him at odds with Israel’s principal ally, the US.
UN says peacekeeper shot in Lebanon near Israel border
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, Unifil, says a peacekeeper was hit by a bullet in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, overnight. The peacekeeper – who has not been identified – is recovering and currently stable, the force said. Unifil added that the origin of the gunfire was unknown and that it had launched an investigation.
The Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Israeli military have frequently exchanged fire along the Lebanon-Israel border.
Pope calls for civilians to be protected and hostages freed
Pope Francis has called for the wounded in Gaza to be taken care of immediately and for more humanitarian aid to be allowed to enter the territory. Speaking from Vatican City at his weekly Angelus prayer, the Pope said his thoughts go daily to the “suffering” and the “serious situation” in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“May the wounded in Gaza be helped immediately. Civilians should be protected, and more humanitarian aid should be delivered to that exhausted population,”
Pope Francis said
Pope Francis also called for the hostages taken by Hamas from Israel on 7 October to be released.
What’s the latest on hospitals in Gaza?
This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals were not functioning. Here’s an update on what we know about some of the main hospitals in the north:
Al-Shifa
The WHO last night said it had lost communication with its contacts at Gaza’s largest hospital, and expressed its “grave concerns” for the safety of staff and patients there. A surgeon earlier told reporters that a lack of fuel meant Al-Shifa was out of service. This morning, an official from the Hamas-run health ministry added that the cardiac ward had been destroyed. Israel has repeatedly denied accusations its forces have attacked the hospital, but has acknowledged clashes with Hamas fighters in the area.
Al-Quds
This morning, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Al-Quds hospital had run out of fuel and was no longer operational. It said medical staff were still trying to treat patients without electricity. The PRCS previously said the hospital was surrounded by Israeli tanks, and reported shooting. The Israeli military told us it could not comment on the specifics of “military activity currently under way”.
Indonesian Hospital
This morning, doctors at the hospital in northern Gaza were trying to treat a baby injured in an air strike. Doctors at the hospital also say they have no electricity or oxygen reserves and have had to use manual resuscitators.
Rantisi and Al-Nasr
Yesterday, the Israeli military said all but a handful of staff and bedridden patients had evacuated the facilities of these children’s hospitals. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it had received reports of Rantisi being surrounded by Israeli tanks.
