
Netanyahu Vows to Disarm Hamas as US Said to Wobble on Gaza Demilitarization
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized, rejecting any discussion of leaving the terror group’s weapons intact. Opening the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, he also reiterated Israel’s opposition to a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River and framed demilitarization as non-negotiable.
His remarks come ahead of a United Nations Security Council vote on Monday, November 17, tied to a US-backed plan for Gaza that speaks of a “credible pathway” to future Palestinian statehood after specific reforms and conditions. Israeli officials have been lobbying to soften language they view as premature, even as discussions continue about reconstruction and international stabilization forces.
Netanyahu said there would be “no such thing” as leaving parts of Gaza undemilitarized, adding that Hamas would be disarmed “the easy way or the hard way.” Supporters say that without disarmament and firm security guarantees, any rebuild would risk repeating the cycle of attacks from the Strip.
(TOI/VFI News)
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