Israeli Finance Minister and far-right politician Bezalel Smotrich has warned that Israel will take full control of Gaza if Hamas does not surrender its weapons. The warning came Monday after Hamas rejected an Israeli ultimatum demanding disarmament. Last week, Israel had given Hamas 60 days to hand over all weapons, including AK-47 rifles, a timeline reportedly requested by the U.S. administration. Failure to comply would trigger a renewed military operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Hamas dismissed the ultimatum as political propaganda, claiming it had no real basis in ongoing negotiations. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardabi said the group would not accept the threat. Smotrich stated that a final deadline for Gaza’s complete disarmament could soon be announced, and if ignored, Israeli forces would act with international and U.S. support. He added that the IDF has two or three operational plans under consideration for a possible Gaza incursion.

The report also mentioned a U.S. peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump, which includes forming a 20,000-member international peacekeeping force. However, Smotrich asserted that Israel could remove foreign troops if necessary, though immediate deployment of such forces appears unlikely.