Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that his troops would remain deployed in Gaza and maintain “security control” over the Palestinian territory. Due to his statement, the success of the ongoing talks for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has become doubtful.
“Security control in Gaza will remain in the hands of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces),” said Katz, who was visiting a buffer zone on the Gaza-Egypt border.
He said Israeli forces would remain in “security zones, buffer zones and control positions” within the Gaza Strip, calling the measure necessary “to ensure the safety of (Israeli) communities.”
“There will be no Hamas government, nor any Hamas army – there will be a new reality after the ongoing fighting,” Katz said.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and Hamas accused each other of delaying reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Following talks in Doha brokered by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas said that “significant progress” had been made in the talks, but Israel had “put forward new conditions for a withdrawal of troops from Gaza, a ceasefire, and the return of prisoners and displaced persons.” Hamas claimed that these conditions were “delaying the final approval of a potential agreement”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has denied Hamas’s allegations. It said in a statement that Hamas was withdrawing from what had been agreed and “causing obstacles in the negotiations.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel had recalled its negotiators from Doha after a week of “meaningful” discussions. According to Xinhua news agency, Israel said in a statement, “The team members are returning to Israel for internal consultations to continue discussing the issue of the release of our hostages.”
This team included senior officers of Mossad, Shin Bet security agency and senior officers of Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The withdrawal of Israeli forces from the coastal Palestinian territories and the duration of the ceasefire have been significant hurdles in previous failed negotiations. Hamas wants to end the war completely, while Israel insists on ending Hamas’ control over Gaza before any resolution and maintaining military presence in the Palestinian territory even after the ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that “progress has been made” in efforts to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas in exchange for the release of hostages, but cautioned that the timeline for reaching an agreement was not yet clear.
