YA’ALON DEMANDS ABBAS TO DISARM HAMAS, CONTROL GAZA

**Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon.** (Photo: English_Alarabiya.net)

Tel Aviv, 9 Sha’ban 1435/7 June 2014 (MINA) – Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon, called on the Israeli Government of Benjamin Netanyahu to act on controlling the Gaza Strip, and to disarm the Hamas movement, along with other armed resistance groups in the coastal region.

Ya’alon claimed that Abbas cannot control Gaza, and that Israel wants to disarm the Hamas movement. His statements came during a meeting with international military attachés, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted by International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC) as reporting.

“Abbas cannot control Gaza; after signing reconciliation agreement with Hamas, we are demanding him to disarm it,” the Israeli official said, “If he fails to do so, then this reconciliation is just a hoax, meant to delude public opinion.”

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Ya’alon claimed he “wishes for peace with the Palestinians” and alleged that the Palestinian leadership is not moderate “as it refuses to recognize Israel as a state for the Jewish people”.

“The Palestinian leadership is not interested in ending the conflict,” the Israeli official added. “There is no use of dealing with it”.

In related news, Israeli daily Haaretz has reported that Netanyahu will be holding a meeting with his cabinet, on Sunday, to discuss more sanctions against the Palestinian Authority for forming a national unity government.

Ministers of all coalition parties will be participating in the meeting, while Israel’s Economy Minister, Naftali Bennett, intends to propose a his plan regarding “annexing” Israel’s settlements blocks in the occupied West Bank.

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On Wednesday, Bennett who also heads the Jewish Home right wing party sent a letter to Netanyahu asking the government to convene in order to discuss more sanction against the P.A. and to present his “Plan B” meant for “annexing” Israel’s settlements in the West Bank.

His plan refers to what he called settlements and areas of “extensive Israeli consensus”, and “carry vital security, moral and historical interest”.(T/P02/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)