Palestinian Authority’s rule in Gaza ‘suicidal step’: Israeli minister

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said Sunday that the return of the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip will be a “suicidal step.”

“Gaza must be ruled by Israel or by an international force for a year or two,” Chikli told Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

He argued that the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority “is the most anti-Semitic body on Earth.”

Allowing the Palestinian Authority to rule Gaza “will be a suicidal step,” he said.

There was no comment from the Palestinian Authority on the Israeli minister's statements.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Tel Aviv will not relinquish security control of the Gaza Strip after the war.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 25,105 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 62,681 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi