Gaza Residents Express Mixed Reactions to Reconstruction Plans

As the Board of Peace pledges to help rebuild the Gaza Strip, Israel's Prime Minister says there will be no reconstruction until Hamas is disarmed. This comes as the terrorist group has reportedly been tightening its grip over the territory. NTD's Jason Perry has the update. Residents in the Gaza Strip on Thursday were seen collecting water from a nearby water truck. Many in the territory have been living in tents due to the widespread destruction caused by the war between Israel and Hamas. Some residents shared their thoughts about the possible reconstruction of the territory as proposed by members of the new Board of Peace. We hope that the reconstruction happens quickly and that the money that has been allocated truly goes to the right place and isn't mismanaged in any way. Of course I'm not optimistic because all of this feels pointless. It's just media talk and nothing will actually happen. There won't be any reconstruction. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at a graduation ceremony for military officers on Thursday, said there won't be any reconstruction until the Gaza Strip is demilitarized. And very soon, Hamas will face a dilemma, to disarm the easy way or to be disarmed the hard way. But here is something else I promise you. It will be disarmed of its weapons and Gaza will no longer threaten Israel. However, according to an Israeli intelligence assessment seen by Reuters, the Hamas terrorist group is continuing to reassert its control in the territory since the ceasefire. The assessment says that Hamas has been collecting taxes, paying salaries, and placing people loyal to the terrorist group in key government positions. And the group is still refusing to lay down their weapons. Meanwhile, Israeli forces are continuing to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and on Thursday released a video of another Hamas tunnel they found. Inside were explosive devices and several hideouts used by Hamas terrorists. Netanyahu recently said that Israeli troops have destroyed less than half of the tunnels in the Gaza Strip and that there are still over 200 miles of tunnels in the territory. And in Israel, authorities are tightening security at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem ahead of Ramadan's Friday prayers. Israel said up to 10,000 people from the West Bank would be allowed into the country to pray at the iconic mosque. About 18 percent of Israelis are Muslim and according to a U.S. State Department report, Israel's laws protect the freedom of religion regardless of an individual's religious affiliation. Jason Perry, NTD News.