Israel wants peace over Gaza, envoy assures Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Israel has only the best intentions in its campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza war, an Israeli diplomat in the Philippines said.

israeli Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Adam Levene assured the Philippines, with whom Israel shares healthy bilateral relations, that Israel will seek a demilitarized, developed Gaza under Palestine.

Israel and Hamas agreed to an open-ended truce last week , with each side settling for an ambiguous interim agreement in exchange for a period of calm.

Hamas, though badly battered, remains in control of Gaza with part of its military arsenal intact. Israel and Egypt will continue to control access to blockaded Gaza, despite Hamas' long-running demand that the border closures imposed in 2007 be lifted.

"At the end of the day, Israel wants peace," Levene said in an interview with Philstar.com in the aftermath of the months-long counterfire that left thousands of civilians dead. "There is no intention to occupy Gaza."

Levene referred to the Palestinian government's doubts on whether Israel is committed to an amicable two-state solution. He reiterated Jerusalem's position in wanting to leave the conflict areas as it did a decade ago.

He noted Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and dismantling of four settlements in the northern West Bank in 2005 in hopes that the territory's independence would facilitate its political and economic growth.

Gaza, however, turned into a harbor for militant group Hamas and its arsenal, eventually firing rockets toward southern Israeli communities.

"The [Israeli] government couldn't just sit quiet about it," Levene added.

The recent war killed 2,143 Palestinians, wounded more than 11,000 and left some 100,000 homeless, according to Palestinian health officials and United Nations figures. It also cost the lives of 70 on the Israeli side, all but six soldiers.

With the cease-fire in place and Israeli-Palestinian talks expected to resume in Cairo, Levene said that Israel would also continue pressing for stronger relations with its partners, including Philippines, as it did even at the height of the war.

"Israel never stopped working ... things have been happening and relations are growing strong," he said.

Levene also said that Israel will respect whatever decision the Philippines will make on whether to lift the ban on deployment of Filipino workers to Israel.

"We hope [for the lifting of the ban] as the situation stabilizes in Israel, but the Philippines is making an independent decision, and Israel respects that decision," he said. - with reports from AP

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