Israel sets Hamas disarmament as key to ending Gaza war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Saturday that the war in Gaza will not come to a final end until Hamas is disarmed and the Palestinian territory is fully demilitarized , a key requirement of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement currently under discussion.

Speaking on Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu said, “The second phase of the ceasefire agreement includes the disarmament of Hamas, or more precisely, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and before that, the confiscation of Hamas weapons.”

He stressed that only once this objective is achieved, “hopefully through peaceful means, but otherwise by force”,  would the war officially conclude.

Hamas has so far rejected any demands for disarmament, a point of contention that could stall the implementation of the ceasefire’s next phase.

Netanyahu's remarks reaffirm Israel’s position that long-term security cannot be guaranteed without the complete removal of Hamas’s military capabilities.