‘Not to occupy but to free’: Netanyahu blasts 'global campaign of lies', urges Hamas-free civilian rule in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his government does not intend to occupy Gaza but aims to set up a civilian administration unaffiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

“Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, but to establish a civilian administration in the Strip that is not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority,” the prime minister said at a press conference.

“We will designate safe corridors for the passage and distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip,” he said ahead of an operation to seize Gaza City.

The Israeli PM further said that the new plan for Gaza City recently approved by the country’s security cabinet provided “the best way to end the war”.

“This is the best way to end the war and the best way to end it speedily,” said the prime minister.

Speaking to foreign journalists at a news conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel had no choice but to complete the job and defeat Hamas, given the group’s refusal to lay down its arms.

Hamas said it would not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state was established.

Netanyahu said Israel was working to increase aid distribution in a “humanitarian surge” being coordinated with Washington while its forces were preparing to move on Gaza City.

“The timeline that we set for the action is fairly quickly. We want, first of all, to enable safe zones to be established so the civilian population of Gaza City can move out,” he added.

“I don’t want to talk about exact timetables, but we are talking in terms of a fairly short timetable, because we want to bring the war to an end. This is how we bring the war to an end.”

With inputs from agencies