Netanyahu says Israel will retain open-ended control of security in Gaza long after war with Hamas

Source: Associated Press

Netanyahu says Israel will retain open-ended control of security in Gaza long after war with Hamas

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY AND JACK JEFFERY
Updated 2:39 PM EST, December 5, 2023

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel said Tuesday that its troops had entered Gaza’s second-largest city as intensified bombardment sent streams of ambulances and cars racing to hospitals with wounded and dead Palestinians, including children, in a bloody new phase of the war.

The military said its forces were “in the heart” of Khan Younis, which has emerged as the first target in the expanded ground offensive into southern Gaza that Israel says aims to destroy Hamas. Military officials said they were engaged in the “most intense day” of battles since the ground offensive began more than five weeks ago, with heavy firefights also taking place in northern Gaza.

In other developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would have to retain open-ended security control over the Gaza Strip long after the war ends.

Netanyahu said Gaza would have to be demilitarized and that the only body capable of ensuring that would be the Israeli military.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-05-2023-8f171da297b565e28156b88d1fc250b1