Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday confirmed that he plans to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, just hours ahead of an emergency war cabinet meeting.

In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said, “We intend to [control Gaza] in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas there,” adding that he wants “to pass it to civilian governance that is not Hamas and not anyone advocating the destruction of Israel.”

He also said Israel hopes to eventually hand control of the war-torn enclave to “Arab forces,” though he did not specify which nations.

His remarks confirm earlier reporting by Israeli media, which quoted a senior official as saying Netanyahu had privately stated, “we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip.”

The move was reportedly not supported by the Israeli military.

There has been no official response yet from Arab governments. However, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that an occupation of Gaza would “be up to Israel.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.