Netanyahu breaks with Biden, rejects Palestinian Authority rule in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday insisted that he would not permit the Palestinian Authority to assume control of the Gaza Strip once the conflict with Hamas has concluded.

"After the great sacrifice of our civilians and our soldiers... I will not allow the entry into Gaza of those who educate for terrorism, support terrorism and finance terrorism," he said, according to The Hill.

The U.S. has floated handing the territory to the PA, which currently controls the disparate patches of non-Israeli occupied land in the West Bank. The PA, for its part, has expressed openness to governing Gaza, with President Mahmoud Abbas telling Reuters that "[w]hen we return we need resources, Gaza needs reconstruction."

Israel is currently engaged in a military opposition to oust Hamas from the Gaza Strip. The conflict has drawn international scrutiny for the civilian death toll and the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday overwhelmingly backed a call for an immediate ceasefire.

Biden, for his part, has been highly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and what he termed the "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza.

"Israel's security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world ... But they're starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place," the president said. "[Netanyahu] has to change this government. This government in Israel is making it very difficult."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.