Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Gaza's reconstruction cannot begin until Hamas is disarmed and the Strip is demilitarized. He stated this during a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu described a new Gaza envelope, referring to areas inside the Strip under Israeli control as buffer zones. These zones are intended to prevent threats from reaching Israeli border communities.
The Israel Border Forum, representing residents near Gaza, rejected Netanyahu's framing and warned that reconstruction without dismantling Hamas endangers them. They stated they returned home despite the war not ending and Hamas not being defeated.