Hamas rejects disarmament in Gaza Strip
Hamas (photo: Getty Images)
Negotiations between Hamas and the Peace Council regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have reached the brink of complete collapse. The parties failed to reach an agreement on the key issue: the disarmament of the militants and the transition to the second phase of the deal, according to analysis by The Jerusalem Post.
The Director-General of the Peace Council met with a Hamas delegation, but the Palestinian side rejected the disarmament terms. The terrorists want to wait until the first phase of the peace plan is over.
Hamas's main demands are:
- Full implementation of the first phase of the agreement.
- Withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza.
- Guarantees for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Israel has already communicated its response to the Director of the Peace Council: it will not back down. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) plan to remain in strategic positions.
Troops will not withdraw beyond the so-called yellow line. That is a special boundary where significant Israeli forces are concentrated. Residents of the Strip are strictly forbidden from approaching this zone.
Jerusalem expects real steps from Hamas. Above all, this means dismantling its armed formations and appointing a new technocratic government.
Threat of war resuming
Israeli intelligence sees Hamas's actions as stalling for time, the publication writes. The militants are trying to evade their obligations.
"We understand that Hamas is doing everything to evade. If it does not disarm itself, the IDF will return to fighting in Gaza in the near future to complete the mission," a security service source told reporters.
What else is known about Israel's military operations
After Hezbollah, with which Israel is also at war, violated the ceasefire, the IDF deployed next‑generation artillery on the battlefield. The army rolled out the newest self‑propelled howitzer, Ro'em, to fight terrorists.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah rejects a ceasefire with Israel because fighting continues in Lebanon. The group stated that the US‑brokered extension of the truce in the war with Israel is meaningless.
Analysts note that Israel's military spending fell by 4.9 per cent to $48.3 billion. This reflects the reduced intensity of the war in Gaza during 2025 following the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
