Netanyahu Reiterates Opposition to Palestinian Statehood, Vows Full Demilitarisation of Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark ultimatum on Sunday, November 16, 2025, vowing that Hamas would be disarmed "the easy way or the hard way," as he addressed concerns over the demilitarisation of Gaza ahead of a crucial UN Security Council vote on U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan. Speaking at his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu emphasised that Gaza would be fully demilitarised, rejecting any notion of "non-demilitarisation" in Hamas-controlled areas and aligning his stance with Trump's proposal, which mandates the group's disarmament as a core condition for lasting peace. The remarks come amid fragile implementation of the plan's first phase, which paused the two-year Israel-Hamas war in October after over 69,000 Palestinian deaths and the release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and 330 bodies. Netanyahu's hardline position underscores Israel's unwavering commitment to security, even as international mediators push for broader concessions.

Netanyahu reiterated Israel's firm opposition to Palestinian statehood "anywhere west of the Jordan River", a policy he said remains unchanged despite mounting external and internal pressures, including recent recognitions of Palestinian statehood by Western nations. He dismissed the need for "affirmations, tweets, or lectures" from critics, directly responding to far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's public call for a "decisive response" against such recognitions. Coalition allies echoed this sentiment: Defence Minister Israel Katz declared on X that "no Palestinian state will be established," while Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected a "Palestinian terror state in the heart of the Land of Israel," and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir labelled Palestinian identity an "invention". This unified front from Netanyahu's government highlights deep domestic resistance to territorial compromises, complicating the path to a two-state solution amid ongoing ceasefire violations.

The timing of Netanyahu's speech is tied to the UN Security Council's impending vote on Monday, November 17, 2025, on a U.S.-drafted resolution endorsing Trump's plan, which includes establishing a "Board of Peace" transitional body chaired by Trump until 2027 to oversee reconstruction and governance. The resolution also authorises an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to secure borders alongside Israeli and Egyptian troops but faces hurdles from Russia, which circulated a counter-resolution omitting the Board and emphasising Palestinian unity without demilitarisation timelines. Supported by over 20 nations at the October Sharm El-Sheikh summit, the U.S. plan has drawn global backing from leaders like Japan's Shigeru Ishiba and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, yet critics argue it sidesteps Palestinian Authority involvement and risks perpetuating a "not war but not peace" status quo.

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Trump's 20-step blueprint, announced in early October 2025, outlines phased ceasefires, hostage exchanges, aid influxes, and eventual Israeli withdrawal to a security perimeter, but implementation has stalled over Hamas's reluctance to fully disarm and ambiguities in governance transitions. While the first phase has enabled partial aid entry and infrastructure rehabilitation—echoing the January 2025 agreement—experts warn that without clearer roles for Palestinian technocrats and robust monitoring, the plan could falter, echoing failed ceasefires in 2023 and March 2025. Netanyahu's insistence on enforced demilitarisation aligns with Trump's vision but raises fears of renewed escalation if diplomatic channels fail, potentially derailing the fragile truce that has brought temporary relief to Gaza's devastated population.

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