Dont need lectures: Netanyahu rejects Palestinian state as UN prepares to vote on US peace proposal

New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday firmly rejected any move to establish a Palestinian state, saying Israel's long-standing policy opposing such a state "has not changed at all". His remarks came a day before the UN Security Council (UNSC) is set to vote on a US-drafted resolution on Gaza that leaves the possibility of Palestinian statehood open.

Speaking at Israel's weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Hamas would be disarmed "the easy way or the hard way" and insisted that Gaza "must be completely demilitarised". He dismissed growing international pressure on Israel, saying, "Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory has not changed. Gaza will be demilitarised and Hamas will be disarmed, the easy way or the hard way. I do not need affirmations, tweets or lectures from anyone."

The UNSC will on Monday vote on a US proposal that would set up an international stabilisation force in Gaza after the war. The 20-point plan, drafted by US President Donald Trump's administration, includes a clause stating that reforms within the Palestinian Authority could "create conditions for a credible pathway" to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.

The clause has sparked anger within Israel's far-right coalition. National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded that Netanyahu publicly denounce the proposal; Ben-Gvir even threatened to exit the governing coalition if the prime minister did not act.

Netanyahu argued that the creation of a Palestinian state would "reward Hamas" and lead to a larger militant enclave on Israel's borders.

Defence minister Israel Katz and foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar also issued statements on Sunday rejecting any form of Palestinian statehood. Ben-Gvir went further, calling Palestinian identity "an invention".

The international push for Palestinian recognition gained momentum in September when the UK, Australia and Canada formally recognised a Palestinian state, drawing criticism from Netanyahu, who accused them of giving Hamas "a prize".

Hamas and several Palestinian factions said the US proposal was an attempt to impose an international mandate on Gaza that "strips Palestinians of the right to manage their own affairs". They said any stabilisation force must be under direct UN supervision and must not involve Israel.