Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that reconstruction of the war-torn Gaza Strip can begin only after Hamas disarms.
Netanyahu said this condition had been agreed with the United States.
“Hamas will soon face the dilemma of laying down its arms, either easily or with difficulty,” Netanyahu said in an address to the soldiers.
He said disarmament would happen anyway and then “Gaza will no longer threaten Israel.”
advertise
advertise
Netanyahu also said buffer zones along Israel’s borders were necessary for national security and said they should be several kilometers wide.
He said Israeli troops would remain in the buffer zone on the Lebanese-Syrian border.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also said Israeli forces will “always” remain in the “safe zone” on the edge of the Gaza Strip.
