Netanyahu Expresses Hope for Peaceful Next Phase of Israel-Hamas Deal, Warns of Force if Hamas Doesn’t Disarm

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he is hopeful for a peaceful next phase in the agreement with Hamas, but cautioned that former President Trump has made clear Hamas must disarm or face severe consequences.

Speaking in an exclusive interview, Netanyahu paraphrased Trump’s warning as “all hell breaks loose” if Hamas does not relinquish its arms. “Well, I hope it doesn’t,” Netanyahu said. “I hope we can do this peacefully. We’re certainly ready to do so.” The current deal, brokered by the Trump administration, resulted in the release of all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. Hamas has already rejected calls to disarm, a key sticking point in achieving lasting peace.

Yesterday, Hamas returned the remains of four deceased Israeli hostages, with another four handed over today, leaving 20 still unaccounted for. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has called for a suspension of the peace plan until all remains are returned. This exchange marks a crucial step toward ending a two-year war in Gaza and addressing decades of conflict in the region; the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Palestinians have faced famine, is a central concern of the agreement. For more on the history of the conflict, see the Council on Foreign Relations’ backgrounder.

Netanyahu pointed to the Abraham Accords – the normalization of relations between Israel and four Arab League nations – as evidence of his commitment to peace, stating that broadening these relationships would be “the greatest gift we can bring the people of Israel, the people of the region and the people of the world.” Officials say the next step hinges on Hamas’s response to the disarmament demands.