Netanyahu: There will be no withdrawal or reconstruction in Gaza before Hamas is disarmed and the body is recovered

In a firm response to the American announcement of the start of the second phase, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday evening, reiterated that Israel will not proceed with any withdrawal or development steps without achieving its field conditions.

Netanyahu clarified, during a phone call with the family of soldier "Ran Guily" (the owner of the last body held in Gaza), that any announcement of the formation of a "technocrat" committee to manage the sector would not deter his government from its main demand to return "Ran" for burial in Israel.

Netanyahu was categorical in his stance on the reconstruction process, making its commencement conditional on "the complete disarmament of Hamas and the Gaza Strip." He indicated that the Israeli army would maintain its current positions to ensure this demand, and also revealed the continued closure of the Rafah crossing despite all international pressure, linking its reopening or any political concessions to the recovery of the body and the fulfillment of specific intelligence demands conveyed through mediators.

These statements reflect a chasm between Netanyahu's demands and the plan announced by US envoy "Witkoff," as Washington focuses on starting a transitional and reconstruction phase, while Netanyahu insists on "security first." Observers believe that the Prime Minister's insistence on recovering "Ran's" body as a prerequisite may practically hinder the launch of the second phase on the ground, posing a new challenge for the American administration and mediators (Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey) to reconcile positions between "humanitarian reconstruction" and stringent "Israeli security demands."