Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (Jan 27) that Israel would now shift its focus to disarming Hamas and fully demilitarising the Gaza Strip following the return of the last Israeli hostage held in the Palestinian territory.
Speaking at a televised press conference, Netanyahu said that no reconstruction work would be permitted in Gaza until Hamas had been stripped of its weapons and underground tunnel networks, signalling a hardline Israeli position as the fragile US-brokered ceasefire enters a critical phase.
“Now we are focused on completing the two remaining tasks: disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza of weapons and tunnels,” Netanyahu said. “It will be done the easy way or it will be done the hard way. But in any case it will happen.”
He rejected suggestions that Gaza’s rebuilding could begin before those objectives were achieved. “I’m hearing even now claims that Gaza’s reconstruction will be allowed before demilitarisation — this will not happen,” he said.
The US-sponsored ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on October 10, stipulates that all hostages held in Gaza be returned during its first phase, while the second phase calls for Hamas’s disarmament and the establishment of a new security arrangement for the enclave.
Militants from Hamas and allied groups seized 251 hostages during their Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which triggered the devastating Gaza war. Israeli authorities confirmed on Monday that the remains of the final captive, Ran Gvili, had been brought back to Israel.
Hamas said the return of Gvili’s body demonstrated its commitment to the ceasefire deal, but the group has so far refused to surrender its weapons. Hamas has repeatedly declared that disarmament is a “red line,” though it has indicated it might consider transferring weapons to a future Palestinian governing authority under certain conditions.
Netanyahu also doubled down on his opposition to Palestinian statehood, saying Israel would block the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza and maintain overarching security control over both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
“The establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza hasn’t happened and it will not happen,” Netanyahu said, claiming he had “repeatedly blocked” efforts to implement the two-state solution. He added that Israel would continue to “exercise security control from the Jordan River to the sea,” a phrase that has drawn international criticism.
The Gaza war, which has left large swathes of the territory in ruins and displaced most of its population, has intensified international pressure for Palestinian statehood. Several Western countries last year formally recognised a Palestinian state, citing the humanitarian catastrophe and the collapse of prospects for a negotiated peace.
Netanyahu’s remarks came amid rising regional tensions involving Iran and the United States. He referenced recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who has issued warnings to Tehran while also suggesting that diplomacy remains possible.
“President Trump will decide what he decides; the State of Israel will decide what it decides,” Netanyahu said. “But if Iran makes the grave mistake of attacking Israel, we will respond with a force that Iran has never seen.”
The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the region, prompting warnings from Iran that it would defend itself against any aggression. Trump told Axios on Monday that the US had “a big armada next to Iran,” but added that talks were still an option. “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions,” he said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised US “threats” during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, saying they were aimed at destabilising the region.
Israel and Iran fought a brief but intense 12-day conflict last June, during which Israel struck military targets across Iran, killing several senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities, while the US briefly joined the fighting by striking key Iranian nuclear facilities before declaring a ceasefire.
As the Gaza ceasefire moves into its next phase, Netanyahu’s remarks underscore the deep challenges ahead, with disarmament, reconstruction and the future political status of Gaza all remaining unresolved.
