The president of IsraelIsaac Herzog stated this Thursday in an interview with EFE that only the Israeli Army can guarantee security in Gaza when the war ends, Hamas is eradicated and a “new regime” is established in the Strip.
“Who can guarantee the safety of those who have suffered the worst atrocity of their lives?” asked Herzog, who assured that “right now, the only ones who can do it are the Israel Defense Forces.”
However, the president stressed that Israel “does not want to change the equation” and “is not eager” to assume control of the enclave’s security when Hamas has been defeated, but he said that is what they should do for their citizens.
“The only thing we want is to protect the safety of our citizens. I think it is our duty. The true obligation of any government is to protect its citizens,” he stated in an interview with EFE at the presidential residence in Jerusalem, on the 41st day of the war.
“We hope that once we have destroyed all of their terrorist infrastructure above and below ground and brought back the hostages, there will be a new regime in Gaza that will also bring hope to the Palestinians of Gaza for a better future, which they have long deserved.” ”he added about the post-war Strip.
Herzog also noted that they have had “open and frank” conversations with the US and European countries about the future of the security situation in the Gaza Strip when the war ends; although she did not express a clear position on the matter and insisted that it is not up to him, as president, to make that decision.
However, the head of government, Benjamin Netanyahu, has stated on several occasions that Israel should assume control of security in Gaza “indefinitely”, although he has denied that the intention is to militarily occupy the territory.
Regarding the current offensive by land, sea and air in the Strip, President Herzog insisted that it is about “Israel’s right to defend itself,” a right that, he said, many countries understand and respect.
“The only way to defend ourselves is to enter Gaza and eliminate the terrorists, trapping them or killing them. What happens is that they hide in civil infrastructure,” he indicated.
The war in Gaza has claimed the lives of more than 11,500 people in the Strip; while the brutal attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7 that sparked the conflict left more than 1,200 dead and more than 240 kidnapped.