JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that local Palestinians will run civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip while Israel will maintain security control of the coastal enclave after the current conflict ends.
Gallant on Thursday outlined the vision of post-conflict Gaza in his daily press briefing and said that "there will be no Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip after the goals of the war are achieved", Xinhua news agency reported.
"Gaza residents are Palestinian, therefore Palestinian bodies will be in charge on the condition that there will be no hostility to Israel," he added.
Regarding who will oversee security in Gaza following the conflict, the minister vowed that Israel will not permit Hamas to rule Gaza or endanger the safety of its people and will therefore reserve the operational freedom of action in Gaza.
Gallant said Israel is going to move into what he referred to as Phase III of the conflict, which would include raids, destruction of "terror" tunnels, aerial and ground activities, and special operations.
Later in the evening, the Israeli Government Press Office issued a statement outlining the combat objective of Phase III of Israeli military operations in Gaza: the erosion of remaining "terror" hotspots in the area.
"In the southern region of the Gaza Strip, operational efforts focus on eliminating Hamas leadership and enabling the return of the hostages," the statement said, stressing that the fighting "will continue for as long as is deemed necessary."