"This is a critical stage": This is how Israel must act now in the Gaza Strip

During the program "Israel This Morning" with Shira Kai Cohen, Col. (res.) Yoni Ben-Menachem addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip and presented his firm position regarding the management of the campaign. Ben-Menachem emphasized that in his opinion, "Gaza must be occupied militarily and civilly," but noted that "at the moment, that is not the case." He described the current stage as "critical, dangerous," and presented the steps that Israel must take.

Ben-Menachem detailed the tasks facing Israel, led by the issue of the border. According to him, "We are holding the entire territory, we are not moving from the territory we are holding, perhaps even folding in further." He clarified that the central task is the "demilitarization of the Gaza Strip," and not just the disarmament of Hamas.

"They need to show not only that they are handing over the weapons, but all the ammunition, and all the RPGs, and all the anti-tank missiles, and all the rockets, and so on and so forth," he said.

Ben-Menachem further added that Israel must provide intelligence and exercise tight control over the demilitarization process. "You started taking weapons? Please show them. At a minimum, it must pass through us," he demanded. He also called for a change in the rules of engagement: "Anyone who carries a weapon in Gaza is an enemy and it is permitted to eliminate him." Regarding a possible failure of the agreement, he said: "If this story fails, and it has every chance of failing... then we continue it."

In the event of failure, Ben-Menachem suggested expanding the operation: "We can say if that is the case, then we are disarming Hamas in all of Area C and B in Judea and Samaria." In addition, he called for demanding that the Palestinian Authority act in a similar manner in Area A. "We must, in such a situation, not sit on the sidelines, but give our push, our activity, in order to increase the war against Hamas terror and others as well," he concluded.