Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state for as long as he holds office.
Addressing a Sunday afternoon cabinet meeting, the Israeli premier, wanted by the ICC on charges of war crimes, said, “As for the Gaza Strip, first of all, I want to make the main point clear: as long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria. Neither ‘Fatahstan’ nor ‘Hamastan,'” he said.
Netanyahu also declared that Israel rejects the 15-point Gaza document proposed by Donald Trump’s Board of Peace and said that the IDF (Israel Defence Force) will not withdraw until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.
He said that Israel was currently in talks with the United States (US) about the disarmament of Hamas, but stressed that it would need to be “genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament.”
“When I say Hamas is disarmed, that means the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons, all the weapons,” he said.
Netanyahu added that Israel would stand its ground on which US proposals it finds unacceptable.
He further addressed rumors regarding Israel’s activity in Lebanon, stating, “In recent days, Israel has acted forcefully in Lebanon, eliminating terrorists, including in the Ali al-Taher Ridge.”
He noted that although he could not elaborate further, he could confirm that Israel was conducting “very important activity.”
A senior US official told Axios on Sunday evening that the White House “is not bothered” by Netanyahu’s stance against Trump’s plan for Gaza.
“We understand Bibi’s political needs,” the official was quoted as saying, adding, “We have no problem with it as long as he continues to do what we ask, especially regarding restraining attacks in Gaza.”
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim, meanwhile, told an international media outlet that the group expects mediators and the US to press Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap, and said that Hamas remains committed to the roadmap agreed upon in Cairo.
