JERUSALEM, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz toured the Gaza coastline on Tuesday, vowing that Hamas would no longer govern the Palestinian enclave after the war.
Accompanied by Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet security agency Chief Ronen Bar, the two politicians visited an area dubbed by Israel as the Netzarim Corridor. The Israeli military now controls this route, which divides the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu's office said in a statement that the two received a briefing from military commanders on operational activities at an observation point in the corridor and "held a discussion with the commanders on the Gaza coastline."
"Hamas will not rule Gaza," Netanyahu said in a video statement filmed against the backdrop of Gaza's coastline. "We are dismantling its military capabilities in a very impressive manner. We are now targeting its governing capabilities, and this is just the beginning. Hamas will not remain in Gaza."
Netanyahu also announced a financial incentive for Gaza residents who provide information about hostages, stating: "Anyone who brings us a hostage will secure a safe way out for themselves and their family. We will also reward 5 million dollars for each hostage."
On Nov. 9, Qatar, a mediator on a hostage-for-ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, announced it was suspending its efforts due to the lack of good faith from both sides.
The Israeli military attack, launched after a Hamas-led attack last October that killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of about 250 others, has caused widespread devastation in Gaza. According to Gaza's health authorities, more than 43,900 Palestinians have been killed in the over-year-long conflict. ■
