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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that his troops would remain stationed in Gaza and maintain “security control” over the Palestinian territory. His statement casts doubt on the success of the ongoing ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
Katz, who was on a visit to a buffer zone on the Gaza-Egypt border, said, “Security control in Gaza will remain in the hands of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).”
He said Israeli troops would remain in “security areas, buffer areas and positions of control” within the Gaza Strip, calling the measure necessary “to ensure the safety of (Israeli) communities.”
Katz said, “There will be no Hamas government here, nor a Hamas army – a new reality will emerge after the ongoing fighting.”
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and Hamas accused each other of delaying the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
After the talks in Doha mediated by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas said that “significant progress” had been made in the talks, but Israel had “set new conditions for the withdrawal of troops from Gaza, ceasefire, return of prisoners and displaced people.” Hamas claimed that these conditions were “delaying the final seal on a possible agreement”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has denied Hamas’ allegations. It said in a statement that Hamas is backtracking on what had been agreed and “is obstructing the talks.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel had recalled its negotiators from Doha after a week of “fruitful” discussions. According to news agency Xinhua, Israel had said in a statement, “Team members are returning for internal consultations in Israel to continue discussions on the issue of the release of our hostages.”
The team included senior officials from Mossad, Shin Bet security agency and Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
In previous failed talks, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the coastal Palestinian territory and the duration of the ceasefire have been key obstacles. Hamas wants a complete end to the war, while Israel insists on ending Hamas’ control over Gaza before any resolution and maintaining a 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 agreement with Hamas in exchange for the release of hostages, but cautioned that the time frame for an agreement is not yet clear.
