JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday there would be no reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, before the Hamas group's weapons were dismantled.
He said this when the Peace Council held its first meeting in Washington D.C., which also discussed reconstruction plans in the Palestinian enclave.
Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials met for the council's first meeting, which was formed after the United States, Qatar, and Egypt negotiated a ceasefire in October to end the two-year war in the Gaza Strip.
At the meeting, US President Donald Trump detailed a pledge of aid for Gaza, where most buildings are in ruins.
"We agree with our allies, the US, that there will be no reconstruction of Gaza before the demilitarization of Gaza," Netanyahu said in a televised speech at a military ceremony on Thursday, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (20/2).
The meeting in Washington will also discuss how to launch the International Stabilization Force (ISF) that will ensure security in Gaza.
One of the most sensitive issues discussed by the council is the future of Hamas, which fought Israel and still has influence in the region.
The group's disarmament is a key demand of Israel and a key point in negotiations on the next phase of the ceasefire.
US officials, including Steve Witkoff, the US roving negotiator, have insisted significant progress is being made and Hamas feels pressure to surrender weapons.
Israel itself has proposed extensive restrictions, including the confiscation of small personal rifles from Hamas.
It is not yet clear whether, or how, the Palestinian technocratic committee set up to handle Gaza's day-to-day administration will address the issue of demilitarization.
The 15-member National Committee for Gaza Administration (NCAG) will operate under the supervision of the "Peace Council," and its head, Ali Shaath, attended a meeting in Washington on Thursday.
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