JERUSALEM/GAZA/CAIRO - Israel on Sunday reaffirmed its opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, a day before the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote on a US-backed resolution supporting the so-called 20-point Gaza peace plan. Hamas later condemned the remarks, saying they revealed Israel's "expansionist tendencies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated the position at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. "Our opposition to a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River stands firm and has not changed in the slightest," he said.

Netanyahu said the US plan calls for a demilitarized Gaza and the dismantling of Hamas's military capabilities. "Hamas will be stripped of its weapons, either the easy way or the hard way," he said, adding that US President Donald Trump shares this view.

Defense Minister Israel Katz repeated the message, saying Israel's policy remains clear and that there would be no Palestinian state. He said that Gaza would be "fully demilitarized, down to the last tunnel."

ALSO READ: Russian, Israeli leaders hold phone conversation on Middle East situation

Katz said that in the so-called "yellow zone," a cordoned-off strip where Israeli forces remain deployed, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would carry out the disarmament. In other parts of the enclave, the task would be undertaken by an international security force, "or by the IDF itself."

In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that Katz's comments in support of continued blockade and rejection of Palestinian statehood "confirm the expansionist tendencies of the occupation."

Qassem accused "Israel of working to perpetuate the state of conflict and instability throughout the region."

The United States is pressing the Security Council to approve a resolution that "welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace," a transitional governing body for Gaza that Trump would theoretically lead through the end of 2027.

It would also authorize a temporary "International Stabilization Force" that would work with Israel, Egypt, and newly-trained Palestinian police to secure border areas and advance demilitarization.

According to media reports, the latest draft differs from earlier versions by acknowledging the possibility of a future Palestinian state.

ALSO READ: Nations push for Gaza truce phase II

Palestinians seek a sovereign state that includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as the capital, a goal supported by many countries. As of September, Palestine had been recognized as a sovereign state by 157 of the 193 UN member states. It has held non-member observer state status at the General Assembly since 2012.

Israel has at times expressed support for Palestinian statehood but currently rejects it. 

Also on Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, held consultations focusing on a US-backed draft resolution concerning the security arrangements in the Gaza Strip.

During a phone conversation, Abdelatty underscored the need for a UN Security Council decision to firmly establish a ceasefire and foster the necessary environment for achieving a just and comprehensive peace, according to a statement by Egypt's Foreign Ministry.

He stressed the importance of proceeding with the full implementation of a ceasefire plan on Gaza put forward in September, describing it as a practical roadmap toward Palestinian self-determination and statehood.

The Egyptian minister also detailed the preparations currently underway for an international conference for early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

READ MORE: Israel reopens Zikim crossing to allow aid trucks into N. Gaza

For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lavrov and Abdelatty discussed the US draft resolution on Gaza and Russia's related proposals during the phone call.

The two sides discussed ongoing debates at the UN Security Council on "the US draft resolution on Gaza and related Russian proposals," read the statement, adding that "a shared view was expressed on the importance of a long-term settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the well-known international legal framework."

According to the statements, the two ministers also discussed bilateral relations and Iran's nuclear program.

The United States is pressing the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution that "welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace," a transitional governing body for Gaza, which will be chaired by Trump.