\u201cIf [Hamas] does not comply, the IDF will receive international legitimacy and American backing to do it itself,\u201d Smotrich said Monday, adding that the disarmament plan includes \u201call AK-47 rifles, all small arms, and of course, all the tunnels and explosives.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe IDF is already preparing for this and making plans,\u201d he continued. \u201cOn the political level, we have held several discussions to fine-tune these plans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are currently two or three alternatives we are examining to determine which is the most appropriate,\u201d added Smotrich. \u201cOne thing is certain: The IDF will enter and occupy Gaza if Hamas does not disarm.\u201d<\/p>\n \t \u201cIn the end, Israel will occupy the Gaza Strip, implement a military government and establish Jewish settlements there,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cIt is impossible to run away from that because it is the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n Netanyahu \u201cdoes not want to take responsibility for Gaza,\u201d said Smotrich, asserting again that Israel will again fully occupy the territory \u2014 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if it happens in a year, two years, or three years.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s territory.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \t Asked about Indonesia recently saying<\/a> 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\u2019s ability to renew offensive operations inside the Strip, Smotrich said: \u201cIf this happens, they will fold very quickly and allow the IDF to enter. This is coordinated with the Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy the way, I don\u2019t yet see them going in that fast,\u201d he added of the ISF.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He said several countries have committed to contribute \u201cthousands of personnel\u201d to the ISF, which will \u201cmaintain security and peace for Gazans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to full and immediate demilitarization,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n Hamas officials have denied ever making such a commitment and have pledged to hold on to their weapons.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tTents are erected to house displaced Palestinian families in the al-Zahara neighborhood, north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on February 21, 2026. (Eyad Baba \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26007559934285-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tHamas members search for the remains of an Israeli hostage in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, January 7, 2026. (AP\/Abdel Kareem Hana)<\/p>\n
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