Netanyahu rejects foreign troops in Gaza, pledges to disarm Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ruled out the deployment of Turkish or Qatari soldiers in Gaza, affirming his administration’s intent to disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Strip.
Speaking during a debate in the Knesset plenum, Netanyahu said, “Turkish or Qatari soldiers will not be in the Strip,” according to the Jerusalem Post. He acknowledged a “certain dispute” with the United States over the composition of the advisory council overseeing Gaza.
Commitment to Trump plan Phase B
Netanyahu said Israel is moving into “Phase B” of the Trump plan and reiterated that his administration’s objectives “will be achieved, either the hard way or the easy way.” He emphasized that Hamas “will be disarmed, and Gaza will be demilitarized.”
On tensions with Iran, the prime minister warned that any attack on Israel would be met with “a force it has never known.”
Debate over crime in the Arab sector
The Knesset debate was prompted by concerns over rising crime and violence in Israel’s Arab communities. Mansour Abbas, chairperson of the Ra’am party, criticized the government for failing to address the surge in criminal activity, stating the leadership had “abandoned the lives of the country’s citizens, Jews and Arabs alike.”
Netanyahu rejected the criticism aimed at his National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, assuring the parliament that his administration would target criminal groups and terrorist organizations. He attributed the rise in crime in Arab communities to the previous government, noting that changes in funding and oversight had allowed criminal organisations to gain influence in local authorities.
