Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reiterated his threats to launch a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip, aimed at completely dismantling the military capabilities of the Hamas movement. Smotrich indicated in press statements that the Israeli government is currently giving the US administration, led by Donald Trump, an opportunity to address this issue according to its vision, stressing that the goal of destroying the movement remains and has not been abandoned.
The extremist minister expected that the coming days would witness a 'final ultimatum' to the movement, requiring it to surrender its weapons and completely dismantle its military structure. Although he did not disclose the mechanism through which this ultimatum would be delivered, he stressed that failure to respond to these demands would give the Israeli army 'international legitimacy' and American cover for direct military action to achieve this goal.
The leader of the 'Religious Zionism' party revealed that intensive military preparations are underway behind the scenes, as the army is developing updated operational plans to deal with the next phase. He explained that the political level in Tel Aviv held a series of in-depth deliberations to improve these plans and ensure their effectiveness, while expressing his doubts about Hamas's response, as he believes that the chances of its voluntary disintegration are almost non-existent.
In contrast, the Hamas movement continues to cling to its military arsenal as part of its right to resist the occupation, proposing alternative formulas that include freezing or storing weapons within a long-term truce agreement. The United Nations classifies Israel as an occupying power in the Palestinian territories, which strengthens the legal position of the resistance in maintaining its defensive tools in the face of continuous violations.
These threats come at a time when the Gaza Strip is suffering from the effects of a two-year genocide, which resulted in the martyrdom of more than 72,000 Palestinians and the injury of about 171,000 others. The destruction has affected nearly 90% of vital facilities and infrastructure, amid UN estimates indicating that rebuilding what the war machine destroyed requires a huge budget exceeding 70 billion dollars.
On the ground, sources reported that the occupation forces continue to violate the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on October 11, on a daily basis. These continuous violations have led to the martyrdom of 615 people since the signing of the agreement, which puts the current calm on the verge of collapse in light of the continuation of limited military operations and assassinations.
In addition to the military escalation, the occupation authorities impose strict restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid and agreed-upon basic needs, which exacerbates the catastrophic conditions for about 2.4 million Palestinians living in the Strip. The Israeli government links the start of reconstruction operations to the condition of disarmament, which Palestinian forces reject and consider political blackmail in light of the escalating humanitarian crisis.
In my estimation, a final ultimatum will be issued to Hamas in the coming days to completely dismantle and disarm in Gaza.
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Smotrich threatens 'ultimatum' to disarm resistance in Gaza in coordination with Washington