Israeli Ambassador: Israel will not reoccupy Gaza after Hamas removal

As the ground strike by the Israeli forces into the Gaza Strip appears near, Israeli Ambassador Akiva Tor to Korea assured that Israel has no plans to reoccupy the area post-Hamas, adding that his nation wants competent Palestinian leadership for Gaza.

His comments are aligned with U.S. President Joe Biden's statement on Sunday that the Israeli occupation of Gaza would be "a big mistake." In the Monday interview with the Dong-A Ilbo, Ambassador Tor said that Israel had already transferred its governing rights to Palestine in 2005 and that only the Palestinian National Authority (PA) ruling the West Bank has been usurped by Hamas. He further explained that the ongoing conflict is primarily a result of Hamas's persistent pursuit of extremism.


Jung-Min Ha dew@donga.com