Israel Officially Rejects Gaza Plan, But Quietly Agrees to Key Terms
Israel has officially stated that it does not accept the 15-point plan proposed by the Peace Council for Gaza, but according to a report in Israel Hayom, quiet agreements were reached during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance Hamas's arms handover, establish oversight mechanisms, and address humanitarian issues. However, significant gaps remain between the parties, with upcoming elections in Israel and the United States complicating decision-making and encouraging Israel to avoid concessions. The primary disagreement centers on the disarmament of Hamas. While UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov insisted the deal requires the complete surrender of all weapons and tunnel maps, Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan claims agreement was reached only for the transfer of heavy weapons to a technocratic government under the supervision of resistance organizations, excluding foreign involvement. Hamas also opposes handing weapons to a multinational force or allowing its members seeking to join a new police force to undergo Shin Bet security checks.
The Peace Council and the Trump administration are leveraging Hamas's severe financial difficulties, including its inability to pay salaries or collect taxes, to pressure the organization. Israel, however, anticipates Hamas will not fulfill its commitments, citing Israeli violations as an excuse, suggesting the process will likely stall until after the elections. In parallel with the arms issue, urgent solutions for sanitation and sewage problems in Gaza were agreed upon to prevent pollution of Ashkelon's beaches during the winter season. The opening of the Erez crossing, however, has been frozen due to pressure from right-wing groups, as have disputes over the introduction of tents that could be used for weapons manufacturing. The multinational force, ISF, tasked with collecting weapons, has not yet been established. Representatives from potential contributing armies, including Uganda, Morocco, and Kosovo, have visited planned staging areas, but the forces themselves will not arrive soon. This delay is attributed to Israel's need to approve the process of arms handover, storage, and destruction, and Hamas's opposition to handing weapons to a non-Palestinian force. Furthermore, the contributing nations are reluctant to expose their soldiers to potential conflict with Hamas.
The Peace Council recently conveyed a direct message to Hamas via intermediaries, demanding an immediate cessation of all armed activity in Gaza, including the recent launch of incendiary balloons into Israel. The Council also clarified to Israel that all parties must respect the ceasefire, and that military action should be limited to responses to immediate and genuine threats.
