Smotrich: ‘In the end,’ Israel will occupy Gaza and establish settlements there

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that he expects Hamas to be given an ultimatum on its disarmament “in the coming days,” and that “in the end,” Israel will occupy the Gaza Strip and reestablish Jewish settlements in the coastal Palestinian territory.

“It is estimated that in the coming days, Hamas will be given an ultimatum to disarm and fully demilitarize Gaza,” the far-right minister said, in an interview with Kan public radio.

Smotrich clarified that the ultimatum would be “not very long” in duration, and that it will be made by Washington, not Israel: “We are giving [US President Donald Trump] a chance to do it his own way.”

Last week, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Hamas will have a 60-day period to disarm, a condition given by the White House, and “we are respecting that.”

“If [Hamas] does not comply, the IDF will receive international legitimacy and American backing to do it itself,” Smotrich said Monday, adding that the disarmament plan includes “all AK-47 rifles, all small arms, and of course, all the tunnels and explosives.”

“The IDF is already preparing for this and making plans,” he continued. “On the political level, we have held several discussions to fine-tune these plans.”

“There are currently two or three alternatives we are examining to determine which is the most appropriate,” added Smotrich. “One thing is certain: The IDF will enter and occupy Gaza if Hamas does not disarm.”

“In the end, Israel will occupy the Gaza Strip, implement a military government and establish Jewish settlements there,” he said. “It is impossible to run away from that because it is the truth.”

Netanyahu “does not want to take responsibility for Gaza,” said Smotrich, asserting again that Israel will again fully occupy the territory — “It doesn’t matter if it happens in a year, two years, or three years.”

Since the start of the ceasefire in October 2025, the IDF withdrew to the so-called Yellow Line, with Israel currently controlling just over half of Gaza’s territory.

The second ceasefire phase, which officially began last month, calls for a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army and the disarmament of Hamas, which the terror group opposes.

The peace plan put forward by Trump also calls for the establishment of a 20,000-strong peacekeeping force, called the International Stabilization Force (ISF), to which several countries have committed troops.

Asked about Indonesia recently saying that it is preparing to send some 8,000 troops to join the ISF in the coming months, and the effect that it will have on the IDF’s ability to renew offensive operations inside the Strip, Smotrich said: “If this happens, they will fold very quickly and allow the IDF to enter. This is coordinated with the Americans.”

“By the way, I don’t yet see them going in that fast,” he added of the ISF.

Trump has struggled to get countries to commit soldiers to the mission, amid uncertainty over whether Hamas will agree to disarm and whether conflict will again escalate in the territory, though the US president recently expressed optimism about the force.

He said several countries have committed to contribute “thousands of personnel” to the ISF, which will “maintain security and peace for Gazans.”

“Very importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to full and immediate demilitarization,” Trump said.

Hamas officials have denied ever making such a commitment and have pledged to hold on to their weapons.