Israel opposes plan promoted by Peace Council in talks with Hamas

Israel opposes the Peace Council's plan to disarm Hamas in Gaza, amid conflicting reports about the issue being raised in the Netanyahu-Trump meeting. An Israeli official demands full disarmament as a precondition, while a diplomatic source claims progress. Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey pressure Hamas to sign an agreement including weapons handover, but the Peace Council's director is not in Egypt.

Israel opposes a plan promoted by the Peace Council in talks with Hamas, as reported Thursday evening on Kan News. A diplomatic source said the process would result in no weapons factories or tunnels in Gaza, but an Israeli official countered that full disarmament is a precondition. Despite gaps, significant progress has been made—though it is not clear that an agreement is hours away from signing. Peace Council Director Nikolay Mladenov is not currently in Egypt. A source briefed on the Netanyahu-Trump meeting contradicted the political source, saying the Gaza issue was indeed raised. According to Israeli sources, progress is being made in preparing the Strip for the day after, and the company clearing rubble is operating at another site. A foreign source involved in the negotiations said Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey are pressuring Hamas to sign the agreement including weapons handover. Hamas has been told it has no better alternative. The UAE is ready to invest in Gaza's reconstruction, focusing on the green city in Rafah, provided Hamas surrenders its weapons. The Peace Council announced progress in talks on disarming Hamas, and at the end of the process the organization will have no governing role. A political source clarified that the Gaza issue was not raised in the Netanyahu-Trump meeting, and Israel will not withdraw from the yellow line before Hamas disarms.