‘More casualties': Huge warning on Gaza plan

Perth Now

9 hours ago

Israel's military will suffer 'more casualties' if Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with a full occupation of Gaza, opposition frontbencher Andrew Hastie says.
The Israeli Prime Minister's war cabinet on Friday approved a plan to take control of Gaza, with a view of eventually handing the war-ravaged Palestinian territory over to Arab forces – of which country or countries remains unknown.
The move sparked condemnation from Israel's allies, including Australia.
Mr Hastie, a former special forces commander and staunch supporter of Israel, warned on Sunday that executing the plan would be 'very risky'. Opposition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie warns Israel will suffer 'more casualties' if it occupies Gaza. Gary Ramage / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia
'I think it's incredibly complex from a military perspective,' he told Sky News.
'If you look at Gaza from a bird's eye view on Google Earth, you'll see that a lot of it has been reduced to rubble – that makes it a lot easier to defend.
'It would be incredibly difficult for IDF troops to move through and clear.'
Mr Hastie went on to caution that Hamas militants 'and anyone else who would stand and fight' would have the upper hand.
'So we can expect more casualties from a military perspective, but also the humanitarian crisis that could continue is also high-risk,' he said.
In a joint statement with counterparts from several Western countries, Foreign Minister Penny Wong 'strongly' rejected the occupation plan, saying it would 'aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians'.
'We urge the parties and the international community to make all efforts to finally bring this terrible conflict to an end now, through an immediate and permanent ceasefire that enables the provision of a massive, immediate and unimpeded humanitarian assistance, as the worst-case scenario of a famine is unfolding in Gaza,' the foreign ministers said.
'Hamas must release all hostages without further delay or precondition and must ensure they are humanely treated and not subject to cruelty and humiliation.'
They also repeated their support for a 'two-state solution as the only way to guarantee that both Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security, and dignity'.
Mr Hastie, who spent much of his service in the Middle East, said it was 'good to see the hostages and their wellbeing elevated' but that a two-state solution at the moment was 'unrealistic'.
'People have forgotten about the hostages, and Israel has every right to defend its borders, but also to pursue the recovery of its citizens,' he said.
'But I think the final paragraph was deeply unrealistic about a two-state solution, particularly excluding Hamas for a number of reasons.' More to come.