by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that Israel will not accept any arrangement allowing Hamas to retain weapons, warning that the terror group must fully disarm or face a renewed Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
Addressing the annual summit of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Netanyahu outlined Israel’s conditions for advancing to the second phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, making clear that partial disarmament is not an option.
“Hamas must first be disarmed, and then Gaza must be demilitarized,” Netanyahu said. “Disarmed means that it must give up its weapons — not ‘main’ weapons.”
Rejecting reports that Hamas might be permitted to retain small arms, the prime minister emphasized that rifles themselves constitute the primary threat.
“There are practically no heavy weapons in Gaza. There’s no artillery, there are no tanks,” he said. “The ‘heavy’ weapon — the one that does the most damage — is called an AK-47.”
Netanyahu noted that Hamas still possesses an estimated 60,000 rifles — the same type used in the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.
60-Day Deadline
Israel has agreed, at the request of the Trump administration, to allow Hamas a 60-day window to disarm. Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs confirmed Monday that Israel is honoring that timeframe.
During that period, Hamas “will have to give up all of its weapons,” including rifles, Fuchs said at the Besheva Group conference in Jerusalem. “The AK-47s will be taken from them entirely.”
If Hamas refuses, he warned, the Israel Defense Forces will resume combat operations in Gaza.
“We will evaluate it,” Fuchs said. “If it works, great. If not, then the IDF will have to complete the mission.”
He added that a renewed military campaign could begin before Israel’s next national election, currently scheduled for October, if disarmament fails. In addition to confiscating weapons, Israel intends to dismantle remaining Hamas tunnel infrastructure.
Gaza Plan Linked to Broader Regional Security
Netanyahu also tied the Gaza disarmament requirement to broader regional security concerns, particularly regarding Iran.
He expressed skepticism about a potential U.S.–Iran nuclear deal, citing Tehran’s record of untrustworthiness. However, he said that if an agreement is reached, it must include:
- All enriched uranium removed from Iran
- Complete dismantling of enrichment infrastructure
- Strict limits on ballistic missile development
- An end to Iranian support for terrorist proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah
President Trump, Netanyahu said, is determined to exhaust diplomatic avenues. Still, the Israeli leader stressed that Israel will not compromise its core security requirements — whether in Gaza or regarding Iran.
On the Gaza front, Netanyahu’s message was unequivocal: no weapons means no weapons.
Either Hamas disarms fully — down to its rifles — or Israel returns to war.
“Hamas Shall No Longer Be Heard in Your Land” — The Prophetic Promise of Isaiah 61 (Prophecy Commentary – Worthy News)
When Isaiah looked forward to Israel’s restoration, he saw more than just a nation rebuilt — he saw a land utterly transformed. In Isaiah 60:18, the prophet declared, “Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, devastation nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.” In Hebrew, the word translated “violence” is חָמָס (ḥamas) — the same word that today identifies the terror organization sworn to Israel’s destruction.
This is no coincidence. The Spirit of God used that ancient word to describe the very thing Israel faces in our day — a spirit of violence and lawlessness that opposes God’s covenant people. Yet through Isaiah, the Lord promised that a time is coming when ḥamas — violence itself — will be silenced in the land of Israel.
Prophetically, this points to the day when the Messiah, the Anointed One of Isaiah 61, will complete His redemptive work for Zion (Jerusalem). It is the day when “the Spirit of the Lord GOD” brings true comfort to Jerusalem, when mourning is turned into joy, and when “they shall rebuild the old ruins” (Isaiah 61:4). The eradication of Hamas from Israel is not only a military victory — it is a divine act of renewal, a War of Revival in the truest sense, leading toward the Messianic age of peace.
The same God who once judged the earth in Noah’s day because it was filled with ḥamas (Genesis 6:11) will again remove it from His covenant land. When that day comes, the word Hamas — and everything it represents — will vanish from Israel’s borders. The people will dwell securely, the walls will be called Salvation (Yeshua), and the gates Praise (Tehillah).
The promise remains sure: there is coming a day when Hamas — both the word and the violence — will no longer be heard in the land.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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