Netanyahu says post-war Gaza needs ‘inter-Arab’ sponsorship, ‘deradicalization’ effort

In an interview with the Washington-based Punchbowl news site, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays out what he sees as the future of the Gaza Strip following the end of the war.

“I think we’re going to have to have sustained demilitarization, which can only be done by Israel against any resurgent terrorist effort,” he says. “But I think there has to be a civilian administration to administer not only the distribution of humanitarian aid but also civil administration. That has to be done, I think best done, with the cooperation of an inter-Arab sponsorship and assistance by Arab countries.”

In addition, he says, he sees the necessity of “some kind of deradicalization process” to teach Palestinians “a different future than the one of annihilating Israel and killing every Jew on the planet,” as well as a reconstruction effort that would be led by the international community.