 "Under pressure from Donald Trump to end the two-year-old war, Netanyahu is facing a backlash from ultra-nationalist allies. (Reuters/File Photo)")
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he would oppose any attempt to establish a Palestinian state . The remarks from the Israeli premier came a day before the United Nations Security Council plans to vote on a US-drafted resolution on Gaza that leaves the door open to Palestinian independence.
For the longest time, Netanyahu has asserted that creating a state of Palestine would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel’s borders. However, as the US attempts to push for the end of the Gaza war , the Israeli PM has been facing immense international pressure to show some flexibility over the matter.
The UNSC is slated to vote on the US proposal for the UN mandate that would establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza despite opposition from Russia, China and some Arab countries. On Sunday, Hamas and Palestinians warned that the US proposal is an attempt to impose an international mandate on Gaza, which is biased towards Israel.
They argued that the proposal deprives Palestinians of the right to manage their own affairs. In a statement, the groups said the force must not involve Israel and must be under direct UN supervision.
What Netanyahu said on the matter
According to Reuters, the 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump included a clause saying that if there were reforms within the Palestinian Authority, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people".
However, the clause was opposed by far-right ministers in Israel. On Saturday, Israeli far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich demanded that Netanyahu denounce the proposal for a Palestinian state. According to Reuters, Ben-Gvir even threatened to leave the governing coalition if the prime minister did not act.
Amid the backlash, Netanyahu issued a statement on Sunday saying, “Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory has not changed. Gaza will be demilitarised and Hamas will be disarmed, the easy way or the hard way. I do not need affirmations, tweets or lectures from anyone." Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also issued statements on X against a Palestinian state on Sunday.
Quick Reads
View AllThe international pressure for a Palestinian state increased in September after the UK, Australia, and Canada formally recognised a Palestinian state . Netanyahu blasted the countries for proffering a “prize” to Hamas. The Israeli premier has also been facing immense international pressure over settler attacks in the West Bank . Hence, it will be interesting to see how the UNSC would vote on the matter.