No gradual withdrawal, yes to arms supervision: IDF's red lines for the Gaza deal

The IDF will present three red lines for the 15-point peace council agreement to end the war in Gaza: full operational freedom to thwart threats, external supervision of weapons instead of intra-Palestinian oversight, and opposition to a phased withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed. The demands will be discussed on Wednesday with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and presented to the political echelon. Meanwhile, the US avoids a public confrontation and reminds Israel of its commitments to the 20-point plan, while the peace council pressures Israel to honor its commitments.

This evening (Monday), it was reported on the Kan News broadcast that the IDF will set three red lines for the 15-point agreement announced over the weekend by the Peace Council to end the war in Gaza. On Wednesday, a special discussion is expected with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, where senior IDF officials will discuss the red lines. The first line is full operational freedom to eliminate emerging threats from the Strip, meaning continued targeting of militants defined as "ticking bombs." The second is a demand for external supervision of weapons in Gaza, contrary to the agreement that stipulates intra-Palestinian oversight under the technocrat government; the IDF argues that "you don't let the cat guard the cream." The most dramatic line is opposition to a partial or phased withdrawal until Hamas is completely disarmed, contrary to the agreement that spoke of a phased withdrawal. The demands will be presented to the political echelon. Meanwhile, the US avoids a public blame game with Israel and reminds Israel of its commitment to the 20-point plan from the Sharm el-Sheikh conference, including standing behind the yellow line and allowing humanitarian aid. A senior source said that if Israel does not meet the conditions, "the president will be very, very disappointed." The Peace Council has launched a blitz: the council's director, Mladenov, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the message was: "You committed to these principles for the hostage release deal, there is nothing new here."