JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday’s ceasefire did not signal the end of the Gaza war, warning that the conflict would persist until Hamas fully disarms and the Gaza Strip is demilitarized. The remarks, delivered following the handover of two more hostage remains under a U.S.-brokered agreement, underscored ongoing tensions and deep divisions over the terms of peace and the future governance of Gaza.
Speaking in Jerusalem during a televised address, Netanyahu said Israel will continue its military operations until Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, lays down its weapons. “Phase B of the ceasefire involves the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip,” he said. “When that is successfully completed — preferably in an easy way, but if not, in a hard way — then the war will end.” His remarks highlighted Israel’s insistence that peace cannot be achieved without eliminating the group’s military presence.
The speech came as the initiative faced renewed challenges. Under the terms of the ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, Hamas has released 20 surviving hostages and the remains of several others, but it continues to hold hostages’ bodies unaccounted for under Gaza’s rubble. Israel has linked its reopening of the vital Rafah border crossing with Egypt to the full return of hostages’ remains. Netanyahu’s office announced that the crossing will remain closed “until further notice,” citing Hamas’s slow progress.
For Netanyahu, disarmament is not negotiable. He reiterated that Israeli forces will remain “deep inside the strip” to pressure Hamas, reinforcing the conditions of the proposed peace plan. He said the military encirclement was intended to force compliance with Israel’s demands, which include dismantling the group’s command structure and ceasing all paramilitary activity. “If Hamas refuses, then it will be forced out,” he declared.
The projected timeline for a permanent peace remains uncertain. The ceasefire’s first phase focused on hostage and detainee exchanges, with Israel releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and 135 bodies. However, implementation of the second phase — involving Hamas’s disarmament and a political transition under international oversight — is stalled amid mutual mistray and differing visions for Gaza’s future.
Hamas has rejected outright calls for disarmament, arguing that it will retain security control during a transitional period and only consider relinquishing weapons as part of broader political negotiations. The group has linked compliance to guarantees of a Palestinian state and governance autonomy, a stance that conflicts with Israel’s insistence that it must first be stripped of its military capabilities.
Against this backdrop, international mediators continue to push for a comprehensive 20-point peace plan, which calls for ceasefire enforcement, humanitarian access, reconstruction, and the transplantation of governance to a technocratic administration. Washington has warned that it may take “protective measures” against Hamas if the group violates the ceasefire, and President Trump has threatened unilateral disarmament if the militants do not comply.
Humanitarian concerns remain acute. Gaza’s infrastructure lies in ruin after two years of fighting, with more than 68,000 Palestinians reported dead and famine-like conditions looming. Israel maintains that humanitarian aid is entering through its checkpoints, but critics argue reconstruction and relief efforts are hampered by the ongoing violence and border closures.
Even as the international community called for restraint, fresh clashes erupted within Gaza. Hamas security forces engaged in heavy-handed crackdowns on armed gangs and alleged collaborators, raising concerns that internal violence could derail peace talks. The group warned that the closure of the Rafah crossing could delay the return of hostages and increase civilian suffering.
Netanyahu’s uncompromising language signals that the war’s next phase remains highly volatile. A senior Israeli official said the military is preparing for renewed operations if Hamas does not comply, while diplomats concede that the current stalemate could prolong the conflict indefinitely. As long as the Palestinian militant group commands weapons, Israel insists, the war cannot end — a position that leaves the fate of Gaza hanging in the balance.
