Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clearly said on Sunday that Hamas will be disarmed under any circumstances, whether it is in an easy or difficult way. He was speaking in the weekly cabinet meeting. He says that Gaza will be completely freed from weapons and there will be no change in Israel’s policy against the Palestinian state.

This statement of Netanyahu has come at a time when the United Nations Security Council is going to vote on the peace plan of US President Donald Trump the very next day. Under this plan, a Board of Peace will be formed in Gaza for reconstruction and economic recovery after the war.

Claims of no weapons in Gaza wrong: Netanyahu

Netanyahu said that claims of absence of weapons in parts of Gaza occupied by Hamas are false. He said that Gaza must be disarmed. Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan also has the condition of dearming Gaza and completely giving up its weapons to Hamas. But the biggest question in the plan is how Hamas will give up its weapons, because it has not yet fully accepted it.

Tough stance on Palestinian state

Netanyahu reiterated that Israel opposes Palestinian statehood anywhere west of the Jordan River and this policy has not changed at all. He said that he has been facing external and internal pressure for decades and he does not need anyone’s tweets or advice.

Defense Minister Israel Katz also said that Israel’s policy is clear. A Palestinian state will not be created. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that he would not allow any Palestinian terrorist state on Israeli soil. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir even said that Palestinian identity is an artificial thing.

First phase of ceasefire agreement

In the first phase of a US-backed ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages and handed over the bodies of almost all of the 28 dead. In return, Israel released about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned 330 bodies.