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 Washington’s proposed Peace Council is considering advancing reconstruction in Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza even before the disarmament condition is met.
Netanyahu made the remarks at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, saying: “There will be no reconstruction in Gaza without dismantling and demilitarising the Strip.”
The statement comes amid reports that the United States is weighing a proposal to allow reconstruction to begin in areas of Gaza currently under Israeli military control, without waiting for Hamas to surrender its weapons — a move that would represent a significant departure from the position Netanyahu has maintained since the ceasefire took effect.
At the same cabinet meeting, Netanyahu also dismissed reports that U.S. 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.
Gaza’s reconstruction is estimated to cost $70bn.
Hamas has recently agreed in principle to terms that include handing over heavy weapons, tunnel maps, production sites and weapons caches to a committee, though senior Hamas leaders have rejected key elements of the disarmament demand in recent months.
(The Whistler)