Smotrich and Strock against the move in Gaza: "Enormous pressure will be exerted on Israel"
Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock are demanding that the cabinet prevent the entry of multinational forces into the Gaza Strip until Hamas is fully disarmed. They claim that infrastructure is already being built to accommodate thousands of foreign soldiers.
Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock have appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of tomorrow's cabinet meeting, demanding a decision that would prevent the entry of foreign and multinational forces into the Gaza Strip before the full disarmament of Hamas and the complete demilitarization of the Strip.
The two ministers warn against accelerated preparations for the entry of a multinational force. Last Friday, Minister Strock conducted a tour around the LSA camp, intended for the reception of ISF forces, during which, according to the ministers' statement, significant preparations for the force's entry were revealed.
According to data presented by the ministers, the camp has residential infrastructure for about 1,500 foreign soldiers, including 20 giant tents and about 100 temporary structures. In addition, there is a fleet of military vehicles suitable for approximately 1,000 soldiers, and about 50 workers are currently engaged in preparing the base and bringing in equipment and materials.
The ministers further noted that the camp, whose preparation is continuing at an intensive pace, will eventually be able to accommodate about 5,000 soldiers. At the same time, they claim that efforts are being made to locate additional areas to serve as bases and storage sites. Based on the pace of work, the preparations are expected to be completed within a few weeks.
Smotrich and Strock argue that the preparations being made are for a force much larger than the one presented to the cabinet, and that its role is fundamentally different from what was described to the ministers. According to them, all this is happening while Hamas shows no willingness to disarm and demilitarize the Strip.
In their letter to the Prime Minister, the ministers warned:
"We must not reach a situation where the multinational force, in such an enormous scope, is ready and prepared to enter the Gaza Strip, and enormous pressure will be exerted on Israel to allow its entry, even though the demilitarization has not yet been carried out."
In light of this, Smotrich and Strock demand that the cabinet make a corrective decision tomorrow to prevent the entry of any multinational force into the Gaza Strip before the full disarmament of Hamas and the complete demilitarization of the Strip.
