The Trump administration recently blocked a military operation Israel had planned to carry out in Gaza, after the details were brought to U.S. officials. The plan had been discussed at Israel’s top political and security levels, but Washington objected and asked that it not be implemented for now.
Instead, the Israel Defense Forces have recently been working to establish what the report describes as a quiet, creeping annexation of territory in the Gaza Strip. A foreign diplomatic source told Channel 13 that this is being done without a public clash with international mediators, in part because the mediators are angry with Hamas over its conduct in negotiations and its failure to meet commitments made to the Trump administration and Arab mediators.
About 10 days ago, a Hamas delegation led by leader Khalil al-Hayya and other senior figures arrived in Egypt to begin talks on the second phase of Trump’s peace plan, which calls for Hamas to disarm, a demand the group rejects outright, according to Palestinian sources. They say Hamas will only agree to disarm when a Palestinian state is established. The article also notes that, according to an earlier Wall Street Journal report, Israel prepared plans to renew fighting in Gaza after the war with Iran ended, and had expanded control in the so-called yellow line area as Hamas tried to rebuild its military capabilities, including tunnel infrastructure.
INSS senior researcher Ofer Guterman was quoted as saying, “It seems Israel does not really believe the Trump plan will actually be implemented.” The report says Israel now controls about 59% of Gaza, up from 53% at the start of the October ceasefire. A source in the Peace Council said Hamas expects all sides, including Israel, to honor the ceasefire commitments, and said the fastest way to achieve the agreement’s goals would be for Hamas to accept Nicholas Maladnov’s roadmap, gradual disarmament followed by a gradual Israeli withdrawal.
