Israel’s Netanyahu rejects any Palestinian sovereignty in post-war Gaza, rebuffing Biden

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes any form of Palestinian sovereignty in post-war Gaza, his office said Saturday, appearing to rebuff U.S. President Joe Biden’s suggestion that creative solutions could bridge wide gaps between the two leaders’ views on Palestinian statehood.

In a sign of the pressures Netanyahu’s government faces at home and abroad over the war, a protest outside the prime minister’s home grew as more people joined a group representing families of the more than 100 remaining hostages held by Hamas and other militant groups.

The families are demanding the government take bold steps to free the hostages, fearing that Israel’s military activity in Gaza further endangers their lives.

Netanyahu is also under heat to appease members of his right-wing ruling coalition by intensifying the war against Hamas, which governs Gaza, and must contend with calls for restraint from the United States, its closest ally.

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