Netanyahu insists on Hamas disarmament before Gaza reconstruction

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Gaza will not be rebuilt until Hamas is fully disarmed and the territory demilitarised, pushing back against reports that the US-backed Peace Council is considering advancing reconstruction in Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza even before the disarmament condition is met. Netanyahu made the remarks at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, stating unequivocally: “There will be no reconstruction in Gaza without dismantling and demilitarising the Strip”. The Prime Minister also addressed Gaza residents directly, saying: “Gazans should have freedom of choice: Whoever wants to leave should be able to do so, and whoever stays cannot threaten us”. His comments come amid reports that the United States is weighing a proposal to allow reconstruction to begin in areas of Gaza currently under Israeli military control—approximately 60% to 70% of the Strip—without waiting for Hamas to surrender its weapons. Such a move would represent a significant departure from the position Netanyahu has maintained since the ceasefire took effect and would contravene the sequencing outlined in US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Peace Plan for Gaza.

The Trump administration’s Peace Council is promoting an alternative plan to establish a new Palestinian administration in Gaza after negotiations with Hamas over disarmament stalled. The initiative focuses on rebuilding the territory and creating a new governing authority in areas not under Hamas control—roughly 60% of Gaza currently under IDF control. Peace Council Director-General Nickolay Mladenov and American diplomat Aryeh Lightstone reportedly presented the framework to Netanyahu, delivering what sources described as a clear message regarding the need for Israel’s cooperation. The proposal envisions a Palestinian technocratic government entering areas outside Hamas control, accompanied by a broad reconstruction process alongside the deployment of an international stabilization force. A new Palestinian police force, currently training in Egypt, would join the reconstruction effort. The goal is to stabilize governance in those areas and encourage Palestinians living in Hamas-controlled territory to relocate to the rebuilt zones. However, Netanyahu has closed the door on this option, insisting that disarmament must precede any rebuilding efforts.

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The central dispute remains whether Hamas must first be disarmed and stripped of its military infrastructure before rebuilding can begin. Talks between mediators, US representatives, and Hamas have continued, but uncertainty remains over whether the group will agree to a proposed disarmament plan. According to reports, Hamas has not yet provided a clear response on whether it will accept the framework, which calls for the dismantling of its military capabilities. The proposed disarmament process would be overseen by a Palestinian technocratic committee and is expected to last about eight months, divided into five stages under the principle of “one authority, one law, one weapon”. Hamas has previously agreed in principle to terms that include handing over heavy weapons, tunnel maps, production sites, and weapons caches to a committee. However, senior Hamas leaders have rejected key elements of the disarmament demand in recent months. Insisting on disarmament while bypassing the requirements of phase one of the Gaza ceasefire deal contradicts Trump’s plan, according to Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem. Recent reports suggest a new US-backed proposal has been put forward, proposing a shift from Hamas disarmament to weapons storage—a proposal Hamas accepted but Israel rejected, according to Egyptian sources.

Residents of communities near Gaza rejected parts of Netanyahu’s framing and warned that reconstruction without dismantling Hamas would endanger them. The Israel Border Forum, which represents residents of communities along Israel’s frontier areas, said Gaza border residents returned home even though the war had not ended and Hamas had not been defeated. “As long as Hamas continues to rule and receive supplies that allow it to rebuild its strength, any step toward Gaza reconstruction is doomed to fail and will become terror reconstruction,” the forum said. The forum noted that the “yellow line” in Gaza is a temporary defensive line under Trump’s 20-point plan, with the agreement calling for the IDF to withdraw to a perimeter line as international forces deploy in its place. The group said clause 17 of the agreement is dangerous for residents of the Gaza border area and urged the government to stop any step that does not begin with Hamas’s dismantling.

At the same cabinet meeting, Netanyahu also dismissed reports that US President Donald Trump had asked him not to act against what he called terror tunnels in Lebanon, describing the claim as false. “I heard it was said in the media that President Trump asked not to act against terror tunnels in Lebanon. This is a legend, fake news. He didn’t say anything to me about it, and I didn’t ask him. We operate according to our considerations,” he said. His remarks contradicted an earlier report by Israel’s public broadcaster KAN that Israel had provided US officials with detailed intelligence on alleged Hezbollah tunnels in the Ali al-Taher Heights in southern Lebanon in an effort to obtain US approval for military operations in the area. Since March 2, 2026, Israeli military operations in Lebanon have killed at least 4,303 people and injured 12,202 others, according to Lebanese authorities, while displacing more than one million. On June 26, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement under US mediation aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory.

Rebuilding Gaza is estimated to cost over $71 billion and take a decade, according to a joint report by the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Bank. The physical damage to infrastructure is estimated at $35.2 billion, with a further $22.7 billion in economic and social losses. Entire sectors have been devastated, including housing, health, education, commerce, and agriculture. Over 371,888 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, more than 50% of hospitals are non-functional, and nearly all schools have been destroyed or damaged. The economy has contracted by 84%. Since October 2023, the Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 173,000, according to official data. Israel continues to occupy around 70% of the Gaza Strip and has expanded the areas it controls inside Gaza in recent months. Despite the ceasefire agreement signed in October 2025, Israel has continued deadly attacks in Gaza, killing over 1,066 people since the deal was signed.

Netanyahu insists on Hamas disarmament before Gaza reconstruction

Appeal Court Hijab Verdict ‘Travesty of Justice’, MURIC Vows to Fight On

IBADAN – The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described Friday’s Court of Appeal ruling that overturned a High Court judgment permitting female Muslim students of the International School, University of Ibadan (ISI-UI), to wear the hijab as a “travesty of justice” and a “forced abortion in the temple of justice,” vowing to take the matter to the Supreme Court .

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the Islamic human rights organisation rejected the appellate court’s majority decision, which held that ISI-UI is a private school and therefore not bound by previous Supreme Court rulings allowing hijab use in public schools . The three-member appellate panel, in a split decision of two to one, set aside the May 22, 2024 judgment of the Oyo State High Court, which had ruled in favour of 11 female Muslim students who challenged the school’s prohibition of the hijab as part of the school uniform .

The legal battle over the hijab at ISI-UI has lasted approximately seven years, beginning in 2018 when the school barred female Muslim students from wearing the headscarf with their school uniform . Eleven students, supported by MURIC, instituted legal action contending that the policy violated their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and freedom from discrimination .

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Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Biobele Georgewill, with Justice K.I. Amadi concurring, held that ISI-UI qualifies as a private institution because it does not receive government subventions . The majority further ruled that the constitutional right to freedom of religion is a personal right that can be waived, and that the students had voluntarily waived that right by signing an undertaking to obey the school’s code of conduct, including its dress code . “In public schools, you can wear the hijab on school uniforms based on the judgment of the Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court is yet to make any decision on the use of hijab in private schools,” the court held . However, Justice Fadawu Umar dissented, holding that the appeal lacked merit and should have been dismissed, affirming the lower court’s decision .

Professor Akintola argued that the ruling contradicts established legal principles and global best practices regarding religious freedom . “This is a travesty of justice, a forced abortion in the temple of justice and an inexplicable judicial somersault. This pronouncement cannot stand parri passu global best practices,” he said . The MURIC director maintained that even as a private school, ISI-UI has no right to violate the fundamental human rights of Muslim students, particularly since the Nigerian Constitution clearly states that no private rules or regulations can override its stipulations . “It is a basic principle in the Nigerian legal system and around the world that a lower court cannot overrule the decision of a higher one, how much more in a case that the Supreme Court had given a pronouncement. It is well known that the Nigerian Supreme Court ruled in favour of the hijab since July 2022,” Akintola stated . He further described the ruling as a “blatant assault on our norms and established social decorum” that has “made a caricature of legitimate demands of Muslims” .

MURIC has already filed a Notice of Appeal together with a Motion for Stay of Execution/Injunction pending the appeal of the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Judicial Division . “The legal implication is that the International School, University of Ibadan, which we believe is a law-abiding educational institution, cannot lawfully prevent Muslim students from wearing the hijab pending the hearing and determination of the Motion for Stay of Execution/Injunction pending appeal,” MURIC stated . Professor Akintola vowed that the miscarriage of justice would not go unchallenged: “We are heading to the Supreme Court. A Christian legal system has robbed Muslims of their identity and their value system. It must not stand. The battle has just started. Supreme Court here we come” .

Meanwhile, the management of the International School, University of Ibadan has announced that it will commence immediate enforcement of its ban on the wearing of the hijab and headscarf with the school uniform from Monday, July 6, 2026 . In a message sent to parents and guardians, the school stated: “Following the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on Friday, July 3, 2026, declaring The International School, University of Ibadan, a private school, all students are required to comply with the rules and regulations of the School. Accordingly, with effect from Monday, July 6, 2026, no student will be allowed to wear a hijab with the school uniform” .

The Chairman of the ISI Muslim Parents Forum, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, described the verdict as shocking and disappointing, but assured that the move to protect the religious rights of Muslim students was far from over . “As Allah decreed, we lost the appeal, but the struggle continues,” Balogun said . “We will take this matter to the highest court in the land. We appeal to all to remain calm in the face of what we consider open oppression” .

Appeal Court Hijab Verdict ‘Travesty of Justice’, MURIC Vows to Fight On

South Africa Rejects Nigeria’s Compensation Request Over Xenophobic Attacks

The South African government has turned down Nigeria’s request for compensation for citizens who fled the country during the recent wave of xenophobic attacks, insisting that it will not pay for businesses, homes or other properties abandoned by affected migrants.

The decision follows an announcement by the Nigerian government that it had begun documenting losses suffered by Nigerians who returned home after renewed anti-immigrant violence forced many to abandon their investments and seek safety.

Earlier in the week, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, disclosed that the Federal Government was compiling records of businesses, houses and other valuable assets left behind by returnees. He said the documentation would form the basis of diplomatic engagements with South African authorities on possible compensation for victims.

According to Ajayi, the exercise is intended to ensure that Nigerians who suffered financial losses as a result of the violence receive appropriate consideration through bilateral discussions rather than through litigation.

However, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, dismissed the proposal during a press briefing on Friday, maintaining that the South African government has no obligation to compensate anyone for properties abandoned during the unrest.

She explained that legally acquired properties remain protected under South African law and can be sold through the country’s property market, while structures erected in informal settlements are regarded as illegal and therefore cannot qualify for compensation.

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“There is no compensation that will come from government,” Ntshavheni said.

She added that owners of legally registered movable and immovable assets remain free to dispose of them through the appropriate legal channels if they choose to do so.

Ntshavheni also made controversial remarks linking some Nigerians to alleged drug-related activities, saying authorities would welcome information on locations allegedly used for criminal operations so they could be shut down.

“We’ll be interested to know where the drug dens of Nigerians are, so they can show us where they have been holding the drugs so that we can clean the drugs in South Africa quite urgently,” she said.

The minister further stated that structures in informal settlements do not constitute legally recognised properties because such settlements violate South African planning and land-use regulations.

In addition, she announced that the South African Cabinet had approved fresh measures aimed at preventing demolished informal settlements from being re-established, describing the policy as part of broader efforts to strengthen urban management and law enforcement.

Nigeria’s compensation request comes amid renewed xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals, particularly African migrants living and working in South Africa.

The latest attacks prompted hundreds of Nigerians to return home under government-assisted evacuation efforts, while many others reportedly abandoned businesses, homes and personal belongings over fears for their safety.

The Federal Government has maintained that law-abiding Nigerians who lost their investments because of the violence deserve protection and support. Officials say the documentation exercise is part of wider diplomatic efforts to address the humanitarian and economic consequences of the attacks.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously condemned xenophobic violence, stressing that no individual or group has the authority to take immigration enforcement into their own hands. He has pledged action against those responsible for inciting violence while urging communities to respect the rule of law.

The issue is expected to remain on the diplomatic agenda between Abuja and Pretoria, with both countries facing renewed pressure to strengthen cooperation on migrant protection, security and efforts to prevent recurring xenophobic attacks that have strained bilateral relations for years.

South Africa Rejects Nigeria’s Compensation Request Over Xenophobic Attacks