Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again vowed that Hamas will be disarmed and the Gaza Strip will be fully demilitarised, declaring that this remains a central goal of Israel’s security policy as international discussions continue on the future of Gaza.

Speaking at his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel’s position “has not changed and will not change,” adding that Hamas will be forced to give up its weapons “the easy way or the hard way.” His remarks come at a sensitive moment, as the United Nations Security Council is preparing to vote on a U.S.-backed plan aimed at shaping Gaza’s post-war structure and stabilising the region.

Netanyahu also repeated his government’s long-held opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River,

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