Benjamin Netanyahu, Photo: JINI / Xinhua News / Profimedia
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that after the recovery of the remains of the last hostage from the Gaza Strip, “the next stage is the disarmament of Hamas” and not the reconstruction of the war-ravaged enclave, inform EFE and Agerpres.
“We are at the beginning of the next stage. What is the next stage? The next stage is the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. The next stage is not reconstruction, but the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli leader said.
He added that they are interested in moving forward at this stage and not delaying it. “And we will do so. The sooner we disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip, the sooner we will achieve our war objectives,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said.
On Monday, the Israeli military announced that it had located and identified the remains of Israeli hostage Ran Gvili, the last remaining in the Gaza Strip after the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.
Israel announces that it has recovered the remains of the last hostage taken by Hamas in the Gaza Strip
The surrender of the captives, dead and alive, was part of the first phase of the 20-point ceasefire agreement initiated by US President Donald Trump.
On January 14, the United States announced the beginning of the second phase of this plan, which provides for the reconstruction of the enclave, the disarmament of Hamas and the establishment of a government of Palestinian technocrats, which will be overseen by the controversial Peace Council led by US President Donald Trump.
Hamas has already assured in recent weeks that it is ready to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to the committee of technocrats, but in a recent letter to mediators, it demands that before discussing the handing over of weapons in this second phase, Israel fulfills its outstanding obligations from the first phase.
These obligations, he explained, include the opening of the Rafah crossing, the introduction of prefabricated houses, the delivery of agreed quantities of aid and excavators, as well as “stopping ceasefire violations” by the Israeli army.
PHOTO Trump presented his real estate project for the “New Gaza” in Davos: “It will be beautiful, I will be very successful”
