Netanyahu says there will be no Palestinian-run government in Gaza 'at all'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out the chance of any Palestinian authority governing Gaza after the war.

"Not only will there not be a renewed Palestinian Authority [in reference to President Mahmoud Abbas's government in Ramalla] in Gaza after the war; there will be no Palestinian authority in Gaza at all," Benjamin Netanyahu told members of the Knesset, according to the Kan 11 broadcaster.

His remarks were conveyed to senior US officials, Kan 11 said.

His comments seem to be in response to remarks made by US President Joe Biden last month, who said that Gaza and the occupied West Bank should eventually be "reunited" under a new Palestinian Authority (PA).

Netanyahu had challenged Biden's plan, saying the PA "in its current form is not capable of receiving responsibility for Gaza."

"Mahmoud Abbas is totally ineffectual as a Palestinian leader... He fell out of favour with Palestinian opinion a long time ago, especially in Gaza."

The 'day after' in Gaza: What will happen once Israel's war ends? ⬇ https://t.co/nmK5CDdW4n

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) December 1, 2023

The premier – who heads Israel’s most far-right government ever – had previously said the Israeli military must have "indefinite security control" of Gaza, but then reportedly agreed to allow international forces to be deployed in the enclave, following US pressure.

Hamas has controlled the the Gaza Strip since 2007, following a bitter conflict with Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA). The PA's control is now limited to parts of the West Bank.

There have been regional and international concerns regarding how the Gaza Strip will look like after Israel’s indiscriminate war on the territory, which has killed close to 15,600 people, most of them women and children.

Arab states have sounded alarm over leaked Israeli plans to expel Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank to Egypt and Jordan, while some Israeli officials have openly called for the deportation of Palestinian families.

About 80% of the Gaza Strip’s residents have already been internally displaced, and much of the northern part of the coastal territory has been turned into a wasteland as a result of Israel's ferocious strikes.