Netanyahu: Hamas must disarm, or “all hell breaks loose”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he's hopeful for a peaceful next phase in the deal between Israel and Hamas, but noted US President Donald Trump's conditions are "very clear:" Hamas must give up its arms and demilitarise, or "all hell breaks loose."

"We agreed to give peace a chance," Netanyahu said on October 14 in an interview with CBS.

His remarks came a day after Trump made a brief visit to Tel Aviv to mark the first phase of his 20-point peace plan for Gaza, declaring "the war is over." 

Now that the living hostages have been returned, Netanyahu said demilitarisation and disarmament must come next.

"First, Hamas has to give up its arms," Netanyahu said in an exclusive interview in Tel Aviv with "CBS Mornings" co-host Tony Dokoupil. "And second, you want to make sure that there are no weapons factories inside Gaza. There's no smuggling of weapons into Gaza. That's demilitarisation."

Hamas has rejected giving up arms. Trump warned on October 14 that if Hamas does not disarm, "we will disarm them."

"And it'll happen quickly and perhaps violently," he said. "But they will disarm."

Netanyahu said he heard Trump's remarks, paraphrasing them as "all hell breaks loose." 

"Well, I hope it doesn't," Netanyahu said. "I hope we can do this peacefully. We're certainly ready to do so." 

The deal, brokered by the Trump administration, secured the release of all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. 

Hamas also returned the remains of four deceased Israeli hostages on October 13, and four more were handed over on October 14, leaving 20 yet to be returned. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the hostage families, called for the peace plan to be suspended "until every deceased individual is returned." Trump said not all of the bodies have been found and recovered.

By Khagan Isayev