Palestinian official condemns Netanyahu's declaration on security control over Gaza after conflict

RAMALLAH - A Palestinian official condemned on Sunday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declaration on retaining security control over Gaza once the ongoing conflict ends.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Netanyahu announced that Israel would work to establish full security control over Gaza after the conflict, aiming to "eliminate security threats" while refusing to allow the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza.

Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a press statement that "the bitterness of failure drives the head of the occupying government into moral, humanitarian, and political blindness, leading to further killing, destruction, and displacement."

He added that Netanyahu declared Saturday that his strategic goal in this conflict is the full occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, despite the Palestinians' resilience to challenges.

Israel struck Gaza following cross-border Hamas suprise operations on southern Israel on Oct 7. The conflict, raging for over a month, has so far led to the deaths of more than 11,000 Palestinians in Gaza. On the Israeli side, around 1,200 people lost their lives, the majority of whom were killed in the Hamas attack on Oct 7, which triggered the ongoing conflict. - XINHUA