Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Sunday that Israel will retain “sovereign power of security” over all land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, insisting that the area “will always remain in Israel's hands.”
Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu said the question of annexing the West Bank “remains under discussion,” while reiterating his opposition to any form of Palestinian self-determination.
“We're not going to create a state that will be committed to our destruction at our doorstep,” he declared.
His comments came as Israel awaits the return of the last remaining body of an Israeli captive in Gaza, a condition Netanyahu has tied to advancing into the second phase of the Gaza agreement. He described this phase as “no less difficult” than the first, stating that its goal is the “disarmament of Hamas.”
Last week, Hamas returned the body of one Thai captive, leaving only the remains of prisoner of war Officer Ran Gvili in Gaza.
Netanyahu said he would hold what he called “crucial talks” at the end of the month to determine how to enforce the next stage of the Trump Peace Plan, which the Israeli government reactivated in October 2025.
“We will discuss ending Hamas’ rule in Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “That is central to building a different future for Gaza—and for ourselves in relation to Gaza.”
Doubling down on his long-standing refusal to accept a two-state solution, Netanyahu emphasized that annexation of the occupied West Bank remains firmly on the table.
Hamas' Khalil Al-Hayya had said Saturday, that the Israeli military had “failed to achieve its objectives after two years of war.” He stressed that the arms of the Palestinian resistance are linked to the ongoing occupation and aggression. “If the occupation ends, these weapons will belong to the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s ruling coalition has ramped up demands to formally annex the occupied West Bank, even as Israel’s military intensifies its ongoing assault on the region.
The latest campaign, dubbed “Operation Five Stones,” has seen Israeli forces carry out operations across five areas in Tubas, including imposing a military siege, airstrikes, and home invasions. By Nov. 29, Israeli forces had wounded 200 Palestinians in roughly one month.
