The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday that the administration of US President Joe Biden contacted Israeli officials and asked them to clarify what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meant when he said, “Israel will continue to have security control over the Gaza Strip.”

The newspaper said that Netanyahu kept repeating this phrase about the situation in Gaza after the end of the war several times during recent days, in a statement yesterday, Saturday, in interviews with foreign media, and in a meeting with Israeli officials.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken indicated this week the ultimate goal after ending the control of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) over the Gaza Strip.

Reuters quoted a senior American official as saying that Blinken informed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his meeting with him in Ramallah that the Palestinian Authority must play a pivotal role in the future of Gaza.

In a statement at a press conference last night, Netanyahu addressed the issue of the “day after” the war in Gaza, and said, “We will not agree to give up security control over Gaza under any circumstances,” adding, “The next day, Gaza will be demilitarized, and there will be no... There is another threat from the Gaza Strip to Israel."

Regarding the possibility of establishing a settlement in Gaza, Netanyahu said that he "does not believe that is a realistic goal."

Source: Israeli press