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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israeli troops should retain control for the disarmament of Gaza after the war with Hamas, again rejecting the idea that an international force could be responsible for security in the strip.
« On the day after: Gaza must be disarmed. And in order for Gaza to be disarmed, there’s only one force that can ensure that — and this force is the IDF, » Netanyahu told a news conference Tuesday.
It comes after Netanyahu told CNN last month that Israel’s security role in a post-war Gaza would be an “over-riding, over-reaching military envelope,” without explaining what that meant.
On the ground Tuesday, Israel’s military reported intense fighting in southern Gaza as it surrounded the strip’s second-largest city of Khan Younis. The IDF also said it had encircled the northern Jabalya refugee camp, which it claims is a Hamas stronghold.
Here’s what else you need to know:
UN visa: Israel’s foreign minister said he revoked the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator’s visa due to the « bias of the UN. » It comes as multiple UN officials warn of an « apocalyptic » situation in Gaza for displaced civilians, who face overcrowding and the spread of disease. Nearly 1.9 million people, more than 80% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced, a UN agency said.
