close Video

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed his plans for Israel to take full control of the Gaza Strip, marking a major shift in policy nearly two decades after Israel withdrew from the region.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Bill Hemmer, Netanyahu said the move is aimed at eliminating Hamas and eventually transferring governance to Arab authorities.

"We want to liberate ourselves and liberate the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas," said Netanyahu.

"In order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza and to pass it to civilian governance."

ISRAEL’S GOVERNMENT LIKELY TO APPROVE PLAN TO RE-OCCUPY GAZA, ISRAELI MEDIA REPORTS

While Netanyahu insiste

See Full Page