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Netanyahu vows Israel will demilitarize Gaza if international force fails

By isabelle // 2025-10-31

• Netanyahu vows to disarm Gaza unilaterally if an international force fails.
• He threatens powerful attacks if Hamas violates the fragile ceasefire.
• The U.S. is negotiating an international force, but Israel opposes Turkish involvement.
• Hamas refuses to disarm until it is replaced by a Palestinian state's armed forces.
• The conflict's human cost continues to mount, with thousands reported killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel will take unilateral action to disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip if an international force fails to do so. Speaking to a graduating class of Israeli military cadets, Netanyahu stated, “At the end of the day, Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized. If foreign troops do it, great. If they don’t do it, we will.” This ultimatum comes amidst a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has been repeatedly violated. Netanyahu warned that Israel would respond forcefully to any breaches. “If Hamas continues to explicitly violate the ceasefire, it will suffer powerful attacks like it did two days ago and yesterday,” he threatened. He emphasized Israel's autonomy in decision-making, stating, “We decide, and we are acting whenever necessary to remove immediate threats from our forces.”

U.S. pushes for international force amid Israeli opposition to Turkey

The United States is actively negotiating the formation of an international force to oversee post-conflict Gaza. Reports indicate the proposed force could include troops from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and Indonesia. A key point of contention is Turkey's potential involvement, as Israel strongly opposes it due to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's consistent criticism. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Israel of genocide and embraced Hamas. A U.S. official acknowledged the friction, stating, “The Turks were very helpful in getting the Gaza deal, and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s bashing Turkey has been very counterproductive.” The official added, “We are aware of the Israeli concerns and are working to create something that can achieve stability and that both sides can find acceptable.” Despite these diplomatic efforts, Israel's stance appears uncompromising. Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed Netanyahu's goals at the same ceremony, stating, “The intensive fighting in the Gaza Strip is expected, indeed, to end, but many challenges still lie ahead of us on several fronts, and we will not cease to act until we achieve them.” He listed the objectives as “the demilitarization of Gaza and the dismantling of Hamas’s weapons, along with the complete destruction of the terror tunnels.”

Hamas refuses disarmament as death toll continues to rise

Hamas’s position presents a significant obstacle to these plans. The group has agreed to relinquish governance in Gaza to an independent Palestinian committee but refuses to disarm until it can be replaced by the armed forces of a Palestinian state. This creates a fundamental impasse, as Israel is unwilling to permit the establishment of such a state under the current conditions. Meanwhile, the human cost of the conflict continues to mount. According to reports, Israel has killed more than 200 Palestinians since the ceasefire began. The total number of Palestinians killed or presumed dead in Gaza is reported to be above 66,000, although this figure, provided by the Hamas-run health ministry, is unverified and does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The situation is further complicated by Israel’s reported backing of anti-Hamas militias within Gaza. One of the main groups is led by Yasser Abu Shabab, who admitted to looting aid trucks. Some members of his group are reported to have ties to ISIS. The prospect of an Israeli-led demilitarization campaign raises profound concerns. Netanyahu’s government has demonstrated a willingness to pursue its military objectives regardless of the consequences. The Prime Minister has failed to defeat Hamas despite the widespread destruction of Gaza, and his new threats suggest a return to full-scale hostilities is a distinct possibility. The next weeks and months will be filled with diplomatic hurdles and the potential for renewed violence. With the U.S. attempting to assemble an acceptable international force and Israel prepared to act alone, the future of Gaza is up in the air. If a political solution cannot be found, it is clear that Netanyahu intends to follow through on his promise to disarm Gaza by force. Sources for this article include: News.Antiwar.com TimesOfIsrael.com TimesOfIsrael.com

terrorism violence genocide tyranny big government Hamas chaos humanitarian ceasefire WWIII disarmament Gaza Netanyahu