Pyongyang: North Korea on Thursday criticized Israel’s renewed strikes on the Gaza Strip, accusing it of explicitly seeking to seize Palestinian territories. The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency issued the criticism in a commentary after Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza in mid-March, following the failure to extend a ceasefire with Hamas, which leads militant groups in the Gaza Strip.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Israel’s defense minister has stated that its troops will remain in the “security zones” established by seizing swathes of territory in Gaza, even after the war ends. The KCNA denounced Israel for harboring “ambitions to steal territory,” claiming the country is no longer hiding its intention to dominate Palestine.
The news agency also accused the United States of effectively ordering Israel’s complete occupation of Gaza, referring to President Donald Trump’s remarks that Gaza would be turned over to the U.S. at the conclusion of the war. The KCNA said the military actions by U.S.-backed Israel clearly demonstrate who is responsible for the destruction of global peace and security.