Hamas will have a 60-day deadline to achieve complete disarmament, otherwise Israel will return to military operations in the Gaza Strip, warned Cabinet Secretary and close ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, Yossi Fuchs.
Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem, Fuchs stated that the US administration of Donald Trump has requested this 60-day period and "we respect it."
During this period, he stressed, Hamas must hand over all weapons, including automatic rifles.
"Their AK-47s will be completely removed," he said, adding that it is not yet clear when the 60-day deadline will begin, but he estimated that it could begin with the Peace Council Conference scheduled for Thursday.
"We will evaluate it," he declared. "If it works, then everything will be very good. If not, then the Israel Defense Forces will have to complete their mission," he continued.
Fuchs also added that it is a "logical assessment" that before possible Israeli elections, which could be held in June, Hamas will either have surrendered its weapons, or the Israeli army will be in the midst of an intensive military campaign in Gaza.
He also emphasized that there are many underground tunnels that need to be destroyed as part of the process, "also on our part."
Referring to Kibbutz Be'eri, near the Gaza border, which was attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023, he stated: "Today, anyone who works the land in Be'eri sees the sea. There are very few buildings left standing in the Gaza Strip, but the work is not yet finished."
