Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Friday that the Israel Defense Forces will remain in charge of Gaza after the war against Hamas.

Ynetnews reported that Netanyahu met with mayors of various Gaza border towns on Friday at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv where the prime minister said, “There is a very strong determination from both you and the government to restore more than what was before. First and foremost to bring back security, but also to ensure a stronger life thereafter.” He added that there would be a “complete disarmament to ensure there is no longer a threat from Gaza.” According to The Times of Israel, these comments came just hours after he told Fox News that Israel did not want to occupy Gaza. U.S. officials had recently suggested that an international force, including militaries from Middle Eastern allies, would be responsible for security in the Gaza Strip for a short time before it was given back to the Palestinian Authority.