Against the backdrop of the roadmap for disarming Hamas, former senior Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan said Kushner had reached an agreement with Israel to stop striking in Gaza beginning Sunday. “We are continuing talks with the Americans to ensure the agreement is implemented.”
Israeli officials are pleased that Hamas has agreed to surrender its weapons, but warn that no agreement has yet been reached on how the arms will be stored, the pace of the disarmament process or an Israeli withdrawal. Officials estimate that implementation will take at least a year and that Hamas will try to circumvent the agreement.
The terrorist organization has agreed in principle to transfer mortars, shoulder-fired missiles and heavy machine guns to the technocratic committee. However, it refuses to surrender its small arms and is demanding that hundreds of weapons remain in its possession to protect senior officials.
The reported framework is a detailed and rigorous plan for the complete dismantling of Hamas’ weapons and tunnel networks in the Gaza Strip, based on the Trump plan. According to reports, the US agreed to Hamas' proposal to hand its weapons to the technocratic committee set to govern Gaza.
An Egyptian source details the four dramatic issues in the talks with Hamas in Cairo, chief among them the formula for "weapons storage" and the entry of an international force into Gaza. Turkey and Egypt are trying to ease the pressure on Hamas to speed up a signing, while a new representative from the Board of Peace may join the talks.
The pilot program to implement Section 17 of Trump’s plan is set to begin in the coming weeks. The goal is to start separating Hamas from the civilian population. The technocratic committee that is supposed to administer Gaza will not enter the Strip as long as Hamas refuses to disarm.
According to the report, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moves to block the reported diplomatic initiative, regional dynamics suggest a potential policy shift following an emerging deal with Iran; "There are no US or Board of Peace plans to transfer any supervisory authority to the Palestinian Authority," a person familiar with the talks tells Israel Hayom.
Washington’s security establishment has already begun issuing tenders for mobile structures and a control tower, with the aim of staffing the compound within a few months. The move is being carried out despite the terrorist organization’s continued refusal to disarm, and against the backdrop of most partner countries’ decision to suspend their consent due to the war with Iran. A security source estimated: "The chance of fighting resuming in the Gaza Strip is greater than the possibility of a diplomatic agreement."
According to the Board of Peace report to the UN Security Council, humanitarian aid to Gaza has increased by 70% in terms of supplies, but humanitarian needs in the Strip remain extensive and most residents are still suffering from shortages of shelter, water, health care and employment.
The IDF has expanded the security zones in the Gaza Strip by another 34 square kilometers after Hamas violated the disarmament deal. The strategic move received approval from the Board of Peace and is being carried out in close coordination with the US administration. Inside Gaza, reports say extensive engineering work is underway to flatten infrastructure along the route of the new "orange line."
