Will Abu Mazen Rule Gaza? Netanyahu: "It won't Happen"

After the "Sky News" network in Arabic reported that the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Abu Mazen is willing to accept control of the Gaza Strip alongside the Palestinian settlements in Judea and Samaria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the reports this evening (Wednesday) and made it clear that he would not allow this.

"As long as I am the prime minister of Israel - this will not happen," Netanyahu said in a tweet he posted on X (formerly Twitter). According to him, "those who educate their children to terrorism, finance terrorism and support terrorist families, will not be able to rule Gaza after eliminating Hamas."

"Kfar Saba will not be Kfar Aza"

Following Netanyahu's words, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in response: "Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your clear position. Those who educate their children to terrorism, finance terrorism and support terrorist families, will not be able to control Gaza and endanger us in Judea and Samaria as well. Kfar Saba will not be Kfar Aza."

As a reminder, in recent weeks there have been many calls in the world to transfer the Gaza Strip to the control of the Palestinian Authority after the end of the war and the collapse of Hamas' rule - when even in the US they made it clear that this is their preferred solution for after the fighting. Despite this, Netanyahu has made it clear many times that Israel will not allow this due to the support of the PA of terror.

"I think that the Palestinian Authority in its current form is not capable of accepting responsibility in Gaza," Netanyahu said two weeks ago at a press conference. After we've done all this, shall we hand it over to them? 43 days after the massacre, Abu Mazen refuses to condemn, and the PA is training to kill Israelis. Who will fight the terrorists? They will? We have differences of opinion with the US and we will convince the US of our opinion."