Sderot Mayor Demands Hamas Dismantling, Warns Against Government Backed by Supporters

Alon Davidi, the Mayor of Sderot, presented a series of demands to political party leaders ahead of the upcoming elections during the "Future for the Gaza Envelope" conference. He called for the complete dismantling of Hamas, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and the adoption of an offensive security policy. Davidi emphasized that Israel cannot continue with the status quo in Gaza and must pursue an aggressive strategy to dismantle Hamas and prevent its resurgence, stating, "The yellow line is not a security policy. It is a line from which one attacks. It is merely a small expression of a broad offensive concept that Israel must adopt." He argued that eliminating Hamas commanders and thwarting attacks are insufficient, and that the organization's economic and governmental infrastructure must also be dismantled. "We don't want to keep hearing about the elimination of Hamas's finance chief. We want Hamas to no longer have a finance system," Davidi stated. He also delivered a political message, asserting, "Under no circumstances should a government be formed here with the support of Hamas sympathizers like Abbas, Tibi, G'abrin, and whoever else I don't even want to know their names." Davidi further demanded a practical plan for the day after the conflict in Gaza, including who will govern the territory, responsibility for its demilitarization, and clear timelines. He also called for strengthening the permanent defense system in Sderot and the Gaza envelope communities and granting local authorities more power in managing civilian and emergency security. "The residents of Sderot and the Gaza envelope are not asking for promises for another election cycle. They are asking for security for an entire generation. We demand a clear commitment from party leaders: how to dismantle Hamas, how to cleanse Gaza of terror, and how to ensure we never return to the reality of before October 7th," Davidi concluded.