Gaza border communities to PM: Make clear – Peace Council plan is not on Israel's behalf

Heads of local authorities in the Gaza border area have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and cabinet ministers to make a public commitment that no reconstruction of the Strip will be advanced and no IDF withdrawal will take place before Hamas is disarmed and its rule ended. The letter, signed by Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council head Uri Epstein and Eshkol Regional Council head Michal Uziyahu, refers to plans presented by the Peace Council at the UN. Ministers Smotrich and Strock had previously addressed the issue.

Heads of local authorities in the Gaza border area have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and cabinet ministers to make a public commitment that no reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will be advanced and no withdrawal of IDF forces will take place as part of the emerging arrangement, before a complete and verified disarmament of Hamas and the end of its rule in the Strip. The letter is signed by Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council head Uri Epstein and Eshkol Regional Council head Michal Uziyahu. The two refer to plans presented by the Peace Council on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week, which include promoting reconstruction in the Strip, deploying international forces, and a gradual IDF withdrawal. The local authority heads clarify that the condition is not limited to disarmament, but also to eliminating Hamas's ability to continue ruling behind the scenes. According to them, command structures, terror infrastructure, and weapons production must be dismantled. The appeal comes amid another dispute: days earlier, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Settlement Minister Orit Strock wrote to the prime minister, arguing that the Peace Council plan contradicts understandings reached with Israel. According to the ministers' letter, the Peace Council presented 66 reconstruction projects costing $2.45 billion, along with $885 million for security expenses, and the immediate deployment of 500 multinational force soldiers. The ministers claim the cabinet approved the entry of only 200 soldiers. Now the local authority heads are joining the pressure and demanding that the principle become a public Israeli commitment.