Israel Warns Hamas: Disarm or We Will Disarm You

Senior Israeli officials have informed the Peace Council that if Hamas does not disarm, Israel will take action to disarm it itself. These officials stated that Israel will not allow Hamas to pose a threat to IDF forces or Israeli citizens, despite the ongoing peace plan and the American peace initiative. Israel has updated the American mechanism in Kiryat Gat regarding strikes in the Gaza Strip. In line with command requirements, these strikes are being conducted with relatively small munitions, with efforts made to minimize civilian casualties. This has led to the unusual issuance of evacuation warnings prior to Israeli strikes in recent days. The United States has not intervened in these Israeli operations thus far.

Israeli security forces have observed in recent weeks that, contrary to Hamas's commitment to the Peace Council regarding disarmament, militants continue to acquire weapons from storage facilities across Gaza and are establishing checkpoints to assert control over the population. Israel conducted strikes on two weapons storage facilities on Wednesday and three more on Tuesday. Jared Kushner, a special envoy for the US President, commented earlier this week on the American peace plan for Gaza, noting that while Washington and Jerusalem agree on the post-conflict scenario for the Strip, "crazy elections" in Israel are causing the government to act irrationally.

An Israeli official told Kan News that the Americans have accepted Israel's red lines for Gaza. These include no Israeli withdrawal from the "yellow line" without Gaza's demilitarization, maintaining operational freedom to neutralize immediate threats, and complete disarmament, particularly of heavy weaponry, as a prerequisite for Gaza's reconstruction. A recent report from the October Council warns that the prevailing strategic assumptions remain flawed, and a separate report details how Shin Bet agents disguised themselves as vegetable vendors in an operation in Gaza.