At a cabinet meeting, Ishtaye rejected “a proposal to create a maritime corridor between Cyprus and Gaza by some countries”, affirming that “while we seek the arrival of aid, we do not accept the displacement of our people on ships for deportation under the guise of aid”.
He also rejected establishing temporary camps for displaced persons as requested, saying that “we want our people to return to where they were displaced”.
Ishtaye believed that “our people will never be able to go back to Gaza if we accept such solutions.”
He expressed regret that some countries still advocate for “Israel’s right of self-defense,” emphasizing that “the occupation of others’ land is not self-defense.”
He called on the United Nations and the European Union to airdrop aid to war-torn Gaza, especially its northern part, asking for the opening of more relief corridors for Gaza in addition to the Rafah crossing.
Regarding the recent declaration by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on retaining security control over Gaza after the conflict while refusing the Palestinian Authority to return to the enclave, Ishtaye added, “Gaza is an integral part of Palestine … we do not need permission from anyone to help our people there.”
More than 11,100 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 8,000 children and women, in Israeli air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since last month, the government media office in Gaza announced on Sunday.
