’Can’t leave a vacuum’: Israel President Isaac Herzog speaks on rebuilding Gaza, says India has a ’lot to contribute’
Israel-Hamas war update: Israel President Herzog highlighted the need to prevent the re-emergence of Hamas in Gaza after the war ends and suggested India's potential contribution to post-conflict ideas.
What would happen after the end of the Israel Hamas conflict? Israel President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday his country would have to maintain a strong force in the Gaza for the near future to prevent Palestinian militant group Hamas from re-emerging in the strip. He also emphasised on the role India can play by contributing to post-conflict ideas.
In an interview with the Financial Times, he questioned what will happen in Gaza if Israel "pulls back" from the city. "...then who will take over?" he asked.
Raising concerns over Gaza becoming a terrorist hub, Herzog said, "We (Israel) can't leave a vacuum. We have to think about what will be the mechanism; there are many ideas that are thrown in the air...But no one will want to turn this place, Gaza, into a terror base again".
Herzog told FT that Israel's government was discussing many ideas about how Gaza would be run once the war between Israel and Hamas ends. He added that he assumed that the United States and "our neighbours in the region" would have some involvement in the post-conflict order.
In another interview with news agency ANI, the Israeli president said one of the challenges before his country to "rebuild Gaza" and to make "sure that Gaza is a safe haven and a peaceful place".
"...I say that the day after, part of the issue will be how do we rebuild Gaza again and how we make sure that Gaza is a safe haven and a peaceful place. That would be it," he told ANI.
On India's role
When asked about the role can India play amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Isaac Herzog said the next step after making Gaza a "safe haven" is to "speak about doing business with the Mediterranean and having Israelis and Palestinians have a true dialogue".
“India has a lot to contribute to all these ideas,” he added.
Herzog lauded India, saying, "We believe that India advocates peace. It's very impressive. I would say, one of the greatest countries on earth and India can definitely pursue the voice of reason and security for Israel and peace for the region."
"I want to express a clear message of affection and friendship to the people of India, wherever they are and the leadership of India," he added.
The Israel President's statement came as Israeli army continues to fight militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Hamas war
Israel launched a war against Hamas, that rules Gaza, after militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7. Israel said 1,200 people were killed and some 240 people taken hostage in the deadliest day of its 75-year-old history.
Israel has put Gaza's population of 2.3 million under siege and carried out an aerial bombardment. Gaza health officials, considered reliable by the United Nations, say about 11,500 Palestinians are confirmed killed, around 40% of them children, and more are buried under the rubble.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News that Israel will "for an indefinite period" have security responsibility of the enclave after the war but the United States pushed back saying Palestinians should govern Gaza once Israel ends its war against Hamas.
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Business NewsNewsWorld’Can’t leave a vacuum’: Israel President Isaac Herzog speaks on rebuilding Gaza, says India has a ’lot to contribute’
First Published:16 Nov 2023, 11:01 PM IST
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