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Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that Hamas may soon be given a deadline to lay down its weapons, warning that the Israeli army would occupy Gaza if the group refuses.
“We estimate that in the coming days, Hamas will be given an ultimatum to disarm and completely demilitarise Gaza,” Smotrich said in an interview with public broadcaster Kan.
“If it does not comply with it, the IDF will have international legitimacy and American backing to do it itself, and the IDF is already preparing for this and is making plans,” said Smotrich, a member of Israel’s security cabinet responsible for approving large-scale military operations.
Under the first phase of a U.S.-sponsored ceasefire that halted two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces withdrew to positions behind a so-called Yellow Line but continue to control more than half of the territory.
The second phase, which officially began last month, envisions a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hamas, a move the group has strongly opposed.
“The (Israeli military) will definitely enter and occupy Gaza if Hamas does not disband,” Smotrich said.
Asked how the military would carry this out, he said “there are two or three alternatives right now that we are examining.”
A peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump calls for the establishment of a 20,000-strong peacekeeping force known as the International Stabilisation Force, with several countries committing troops.
When asked how Israeli forces would operate against Hamas with foreign soldiers on the ground, Smotrich said the peacekeeping force would “pull out very quickly and allow the (Israeli military) to enter. This is coordinated with the Americans.”
“By the way, I don’t yet see them going in that fast,” he added, referring to the International Stabilisation Force.
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