Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his forthright views on Gaza on Sunday, making it clear that Hamas would be disarmed “the easy way, or the hard way.” His warning came before the UN Security Council votes on a resolution legitimizing U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which has tough demilitarization conditions for Gaza.
Netanyahu dismisses any idea of a Palestinian state
Netanyahu opened the weekly cabinet meeting, sending a strong message: Israel’s tack against a Palestinian state has not changed. He underscored, “Our opposition to a Palestinian state, anywhere west of the Jordan River, exists and has not changed, not even a bit,” before reiterating a position he claims to have held for many years, regardless of domestic and international pressure.
He warned, similarly, that even talk around “non-demilitarization” of the Hamas-controlled areas in Gaza would not be tolerated. “There will be no such thing,” he stated, furthering his claim that Gaza would remain demilitarized in any future situation.
Trump’s peace proposal increases pressure on Israel
Netanyahu’s comments came a day before an expected UN Security Council vote on Trump’s proposed 20-point ceasefire and reconstruction plan involving the establishment of a Board for Peace to oversee stabilization in Gaza, economic recovery, and security issues following the end of hostilities.
The plan calls for Hamas’ complete disarmament, but it also begs the important question of how Hamas shall be compelled to give up its weapons if it refuses to comply. Netanyahu attempted to address that gap by delivering his frank warning that, independent of Hamas’ cooperation, Israel would ensure that Hamas would disarm itself.
“This territory will be demilitarized, and Hamas will be disarmed, the easy way or the hard way,” he stated. “This is what I said, and this is what President Trump has also said.”
Coalition tensions over recognition of a Palestinian state
Netanyahu’s strong statements also served as a rebuttal to internal criticism. Several coalition partners have accused him of responding too weakly amid a surge of recognition of Palestinian statehood from many Western states.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for an even stronger response, urging Netanyahu to send a global message that “no Palestinian state will ever arise in the lands of our homeland.”
The prime minister rejected that option. “I don’t need affirmations, tweets, or lectures from anybody,” he said, proposing that he does not yield to pressure, even from his own government.
Other ministers took their cue from Smotrich. Defense Minister Israel Katz argued that Israel’s position has always been “clear: there will be no Palestinian state;” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also affirmed that Israel “will not permit the establishment of a Palestinian terror state;” and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went so far as to describe the mere notion of a Palestinian identity to be an “invention.”
Hostage deal and prisoner exchange continue
Netanyahu’s most recent statements came as Israel crossed into the first phase of the U.S.-backed ceasefire arrangement. In this first phase, the last 20 living Israeli hostages were released, and all but 28 bodies of deceased hostages were also returned.
In exchange, Israel released almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned 330 bodies. Nonetheless, this swap was not perceived as an opening for altered Israeli positions towards Hamas, or future Palestinian statehood
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