The Prime Minister of Israel has stated that the “intense battle” with Hamas will “soon” come to an end, while an audio file attributed to Israel’s Finance Minister reveals a “confidential” plan for “controlling” the West Bank.
Nearly nine months have passed since what is being called an “intense battle” in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians and has elicited strong reactions from countries around the world.
In response to widespread reactions and increased pressure on Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s Prime Minister, has announced that the “intense phase of the battle” with Hamas will “soon” end. However, he emphasized that this does not mean the war is over, stating that “Hamas must be destroyed.”
He made these remarks on Sunday, June 23, and mentioned that after the intense phase of the war in Gaza ends, Israel will have the opportunity to “relocate some forces to the north,” where thousands of Israeli settlers have been displaced from their homes by rocket attacks from Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the media has widely covered an audio file attributed to Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister, regarding the country’s confidential plan to control the West Bank.
The New York Times, quoting this audio file, reported that the Israeli minister promised settlers control over all areas of the West Bank: “Tel Aviv is seeking to take confidential measures to change the way Israel controls the West Bank.”
The West Bank, whose divisions date back to the 1990s, is partly administered by Israel, partly by the Palestinian Authority, and partly jointly managed.
The release of this audio file has fueled speculation about Israel’s efforts to dismantle the Palestinian Authority completely.
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