Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has issued a brazen declaration of intent to permanently occupy the Gaza Strip and reestablish illegal Jewish settlements there, exposing the true expansionist ambitions behind Washington's so-called peace plan. In an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Monday, the far-right minister, who sits on Israel's security cabinet, stated that "in the end, Israel will occupy the Gaza Strip, implement a military government and establish Jewish settlements there," adding that "it is impossible to run away from that because it is the truth". These remarks come as the fragile US-brokered ceasefire enters its second phase, with Smotrich explicitly stating that Hamas will soon face an American ultimatum to disarm, and if it refuses, Israel will have "international legitimacy and American backing" to resume its genocidal war and fully reoccupy the territory.
A Coordinated Ultimatum Backed by Washington
Smotrich revealed that the expected ultimatum for Hamas to "disarm and completely demilitarize Gaza" will come directly from the Trump administration, not Israel, noting that "we are giving [Trump] a chance to do it his own way". He confirmed that Israeli military planners are actively preparing for renewed offensive operations, with "two or three alternatives right now that we are examining". This follows statements by Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, a top Netanyahu aide, who recently issued a 60-day ultimatum for Hamas to disarm, claiming the timeline was requested by Washington. Hamas has vehemently rejected these demands, with senior official Mahmoud Mardawi dismissing them as "merely threats with no basis in the ongoing negotiations" and warning that any renewal of war would have "serious repercussions for the region".
Ceasefire Violations Continue
While Israeli officials speak of ultimatums and disarmament, their military continues its relentless assault on Gaza's civilian population. Since dawn on Monday, Israeli warplanes have launched multiple airstrikes on the eastern areas of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, while artillery targeted areas in Beit Lahia in the north. The eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City have been subjected to heavy artillery shelling concentrated in the Tuffah area, coinciding with heavy gunfire, and artillery has also targeted the northern areas of Rafah. A security source in Gaza confirmed that Israeli tanks opened fire in Khan Yunis, where at least two airstrikes were conducted. These attacks represent the 136th consecutive day of Israeli violations since the ceasefire agreement was signed, with the occupying forces continuing their aggression through airstrikes, artillery shelling, and heavy gunfire across the Strip.
Over 600 Palestinians Killed Since "Ceasefire" Began
The health ministry in Gaza has reported that at least 615 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the truce supposedly took effect in October. Al Jazeera reports that according to authorities in Gaza, Israel has violated the ceasefire more than 1,520 times, in addition to severely restricting quantities of food, medicine, shelter materials, and prefabricated houses entering the territory. Approximately two million Palestinians, including 1.5 million displaced people, continue to live in catastrophic conditions under the ongoing Israeli blockade. Israel's genocide in Gaza since October 2023 has now killed more than 72,000 people, the vast majority of them women and children, according to local health authorities. Meanwhile, the Israeli military claims to have lost only five soldiers during the same ceasefire period, a stark contrast that reveals the brutal asymmetry of this ongoing violence.
Hamas's Rejection
Hamas has repeatedly and unequivocally rejected calls to lay down its weapons as long as Israel continues to occupy Gaza and oppress the Palestinian people. Khaled Meshaal, the movement's political leader abroad, recently argued that stripping weapons from an occupied people would turn them into "an easy victim to be eliminated". A Hamas spokesman, Hazem Qassem, clarified that while the movement is open to international forces in the territory, any such force must serve strictly as "peacekeeping forces that monitor the ceasefire, ensure its implementation, and act as a buffer between the occupation army and our people in the Gaza Strip, without interfering in Gaza's internal affairs". The second phase of the ceasefire agreement, as envisioned by Washington, calls for Hamas's disarmament and the deployment of an international stabilization force, conditions the resistance has consistently rejected.
The "International Stabilization Force": A Cover for Occupation?
Trump's peace plan includes the establishment of a 20,000-strong International Stabilization Force (ISF), to which several countries have reportedly committed troops. Indonesia has pledged up to 8,000 soldiers, while Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania have also agreed to contribute personnel. However, Smotrich revealed the cynical reality behind this deployment, stating that if foreign soldiers were on the ground and Israel needed to operate against Hamas, the ISF would "pull out very quickly and allow the IDF to enter," adding that "this is coordinated with the Americans". "By the way, I don't yet see them going in that fast," he added dismissively. This admission exposes the so-called peacekeeping force as little more than a fig leaf designed to provide international cover for Israel's ongoing military occupation and colonial ambitions.
The Colonial Vision Behind the "Peace" Plan
Smotrich's statements lay bare the true nature of the project being advanced under the guise of peace and reconstruction. "In the end, Israel will occupy the Gaza Strip, implement a military government and establish Jewish settlements there," he declared, asserting that Prime Minister Netanyahu "does not want to take responsibility for Gaza" but that reoccupation is inevitable; "It doesn't matter if it happens in a year, two years, or three years". Under the first phase of the ceasefire, Israel withdrew to positions behind a so-called Yellow Line but still controls over half of Gaza's territory. The second phase officially began last month with promises of gradual Israeli withdrawal and Hamas disarmament, but Smotrich's comments reveal that Israel's leadership has no intention of ever relinquishing control. As one Palestinian in Khan Yunis told AFP, "Trump is merely a military force imposing his views on the world, and this security council, which he boasts about, is another gateway to the occupation of Palestine, another face of the Zionist occupation".