Ex-Israeli PM urges forces to leave the Strip

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday, May 12, said that Gaza belongs to Palestine and not Israel. He asserted that the Israeli forces must leave the Strip.

“[Gaza] has to be part of the Palestinian state,” said the former premier at the two-day People’s Peace Summit. Olmert called for a new administration linked to the Palestinian Authority, with executive powers, that would be able to rebuild Gaza.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the summit was the largest civilian anti-war event in Israel since October 2023. On March 2, Israel sealed the Gaza Strip, prohibiting the entry of food, water and medicines.

On March 19, Israel launched an offensive, shattering the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that came into place in January.

(The headline has been edited for accuracy.)