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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday the Israeli occupation army will occupy Gaza even if the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, agreed to a ceasefire prisoner swap deal.
“We are close to ending the war in Gaza. We will continue to control Gaza, even if Hamas agrees to a last-minute ceasefire agreement” Netanyahu told Sky News Australia.
“The war could end today if Hamas lays down its weapons and releases the remaining hostages,” he said, reiterating his previous claim that Israel’s goal of the war in the besieged enclave is to release all the captives, disarm Hamas, and eliminate Hamas’s last stronghold, which is essential to achieving lasting peace.
“My goal is not to occupy Gaza, but to give it and Israel a different future, and I believe we are close to achieving that” he further claimed, adding that US President, Donald Trump fully supports his military goal of controlling Gaza City in order to eliminate Hamas.
READ: Gaza’s future: Beyond the rubble
