Dhruvi Shah
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that the armed forces of Israel will not retreat from their stationed territories in Gaza despite a ceasefire deal pushed for by Washington. This was communicated in a press release from the Prime Minister’s office during Netanyahu’s visit to Israeli military units in Gaza.
Standing near the Yellow Line, dividing the land occupied by Hamas from land under Israeli control, Netanyahu stated that “we are in charge here, and there is no pulling back on behalf of Israel.” The comments serve as proof that Israel will stay in Gaza in spite of the calls from the international community to stop military operations in the area.
The statements were made when the United States was trying to have a ceasefire implemented. The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, with the Foreign Ministry, had called on both Israel and Hamas to stop fighting and begin negotiations again, saying that this step will reduce civilian casualties and allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered to that region. Although the plan was supported by other parties, due to Netanyahu’s visit to the ground, it was evident that Israel was not going to accept it on the mentioned terms.
Israeli officials insisted that the military presence is a necessity for security purposes, arguing that it is to prevent future attacks from Gaza. Meanwhile, Hamas denied that reasoning and stressed that Israel had to leave the territory completely in order for anything sustainable like a truce to be established.
Other players made their statements too. Spokesperson at the United Nations, Stéphane Dujarric, insisted that hostilities should cease and both parties should get back to look for a negotiated agreement, taking into consideration the civilian casualties.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt supported the same statement calling on both sides to agree on an immediate ceasefire and to comply with international humanitarian laws.
The issue of Gaza’s legal status is still controversial. Separate from the fact that Israel has pulled back its permanent ground forces from the area in 2005, the UN and the International Red Cross have still classified Gaza as under occupation. The rationale behind this classification is that Israel is in charge of Gaza’s borders, air space, and sea access and that this classification is still disputed in diplomatic circles.
At the same time, establishing the reality on the ground is tricky since journalists and independent observers are still facing many limitations concerning access to Gaza.
If the situation with Netanyahu remains the same, and Hamas still insists on withdrawal beforehand, it is unclear where the mediators could move from this point on.