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Netanyahu insists on Hamas disarmament before Gaza reconstruction

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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.