Netanyahu Says Gaza Reconstruction Will Not Be Allowed Until Hamas is Disarmed

On the 5th local time, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated at the weekly cabinet meeting that the reconstruction of Gaza would never be allowed to start unless the armed forces of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) were completely disarmed and demilitarization of the Gaza Strip was achieved.

Previously, there were reports that the U.S. government had decided not to make "the disarmament of Hamas" a prerequisite for the reconstruction of Gaza. Netanyahu did not directly deny this on that day but clearly emphasized that Israel would absolutely not accept the reconstruction of Gaza without achieving demilitarization. He stated that Israel is creating a new so-called "buffer zone" within Gaza, and it prefers to use these areas under its control in Gaza as a "buffer zone."

When discussing the situation in Lebanon, Netanyahu firmly denied rumors that U.S. President Trump had pressured Israel not to take action against Hezbollah's tunnels, calling it "fake news." He stated that the U.S. had not made such a request, and Israel's military actions are entirely based on its own considerations. (CCTV reporter Zhao Bing)