Israel is bracing for a return to full-scale fighting in the Gaza Strip as the deadline given to Hamas to comply with the US demand to disarm expires Thursday. Nickolay Mladenov, head of the Board of Peace, is set to meet with Hamas representatives in Turkey on Thursday and receive their formal response on the demand – a condition tied directly to the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Based on statements from senior Hamas officials in recent days, the organization's opposition to the move appears firm, as expected. It should be noted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement is contingent on Hamas' disarmament. In Israel, preparations are underway to resume combat operations should Hamas maintain its refusal after Thursday.
Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that Hamas had been given a final deadline to submit its position. To date, Hamas has rejected demands to hand its weapons over to Gaza's National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
On Wednesday, IDF forces eliminated a Hamas terrorist who had operated under cover as an Al Jazeera journalist. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said, "IDF forces under Southern Command attacked and eliminated Muhammad Samir Muhammad Wshah, a senior operative in Hamas' rocket and weapons production headquarters, who had planned terrorist attack routes against IDF forces operating in the central Gaza Strip."
Wshah, had used his position as an Al Jazeera journalist as cover, exploiting the role to advance terrorist operations against IDF forces and the State of Israel. Throughout the war, Wshah took part in the production of drones, rockets, and combat equipment, and was involved in transferring weaponry within the Gaza Strip.
Also Thursday, the IDF and the Shin Bet announced that, under Southern Command, forces eliminated on Sunday Abd al-Rahman Amar Hassan Khodari, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) operative who had worked to advance a terrorist attack in northern Gaza. Khodari had also taken part in the raid on Kibbutz Nir Oz during the murderous massacre of October 7.
