Israeli plans will fail to create bodies to govern Gaza: Palestinian groups

By Mehmet Nuri Ucar

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Palestinian groups said Saturday that Israeli plans to create structures to govern the Gaza Strip will fail in the face of the determination of Palestinians.

"Israel is still trying to liquidate the Palestinian cause and displace our people with its old and new plan, but this plan will fail and fall in vain," the National and Islamic Forces Monitoring Committee, which includes Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said in a statement.

Regarding Israel's plans to create structures to govern Gaza, the statement emphasized: "Israel is allegedly trying to create local civilian or tribal bodies to govern the Gaza Strip, but they will not succeed in doing so."

The groups considered dealing with such proposals to be "a national betrayal that no one will accept or approve."

On Jan. 5, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant expressed an opinion that Palestinians would rule Gaza on the condition that they "are not hostile to Israel and do not engage in activities against it.”

Since Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, Israel has continued relentless attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 22,722 Palestinians and injuring 58,166, said health authorities.

At least 9,280 children have been killed in the Israeli onslaught, according to data released by the Gaza Media Office on Monday.

Israeli authorities claimed that the Hamas attacks have killed around 1,200 Israelis.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

The Israeli army announced that 510 soldiers have been killed since Oct, 7, when attacks on Gaza began -- 176 during the land invasion process.

On Nov. 24, a total of 81 Israeli and 240 Palestinian prisoners were released during a "humanitarian pause," which was granted for four days in the fighting and later extended for another three days.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued to detain and imprison thousands of Palestinians.

Since Oct. 7, a total of 326 Palestinians have been killed in attacks by Israeli forces and illegal Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

In ongoing clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah on the Lebanese border since Oct. 8, a total of 28 Lebanese civilians, 148 Hezbollah members, five Israeli civilians and nine Israeli soldiers have died.

*Writing by Merve Berker