Netanyahu says Hamas must surrender all its rifles for Trump’s peace plan to advance

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Hamas must surrender all its rifles and tunnel infrastructure in order for Washington’s Gaza peace plan to advance.

When asked by Fox News what is complicating the transition to the second phase of the plan, Netanyahu replies, “One word: disarmament,” adding that “Hamas committed to disarm” but “refuses to do it.”

While US officials have claimed that the terror group agreed to disarm shortly before the first phase of the deal was signed on October 9, Hamas has repeatedly denied this.

Netanyahu says that Hamas has “got still about 20,000 people with basically Kalashnikov rifles, which they use periodically to execute anyone who doesn’t want the continuation of their tyranny.”

“And they have altogether 60,000 AK rifles. That’s what disarmament means – got to take all these rifles, take them away from them, and break up those terror tunnels that they have, still hundreds of kilometers of terror tunnels. Hamas refuses to do it,” he says.

Asked if he believes phase two of the Gaza plan can be reached even if Hamas is unwilling to disarm, Netanyahu says, “I think we have to give it a chance.”

“There’s an attempt to bring an international force,” he continues, referring to the International Stabilization Force that would be deployed in Gaza as part of the US plan. “So far, it hasn’t come to fruition, but we’ll give it a chance. Because if it can be done… the easy way, fine. And if not, it will be done another way.”