Intl desk: A senior Israeli official says its troops will not pull back in Gaza without “genuine” disarmament of Hamas.
Hamas has agreed to a draft peace deal on Gaza drawn up by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, under a roadmap that would see it disarm in phases that would be matched by Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The Palestinian group says implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal is dependent on Israel’s full implementation of its first phase, including the withdrawal of all troops and the cessation of attacks.
It comes after US President Donald Trump announced an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas, followed by Israeli withdrawal from Gaza – officials said Trump would be “very disappointed” if Israel does not do so.
Hamas says the handover of its heavy weapons depends on Israel ending “all forms of aggression” and withdrawing from Gaza. Trump called the agreement “a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government”.
An Israeli official has told the Reuters news agency that Israel will not withdraw behind the so-called Yellow Line in Gaza before Hamas is disarmed.
The Yellow Line is the demarcation line where the Israeli army withdrew to under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire that came into effect last October. Israeli military maps indicate the line extends 1.5km and 6.5km (0.9 miles to four miles) inside Gaza from its eastern boundary with Israel and covers roughly 58 percent of the enclave.
The line divides Gaza into two zones: an eastern area under Israeli military control, and a western area where Palestinians face fewer movement restrictions but are under constant threat of air strikes and forced displacement.
The Board of Peace has published its roadmap for peace in Gaza, details of which we reported earlier.
The first principle of the roadmap, posted on social media, is that “all parties reaffirm their commitment to President Trump’s comprehensive plan to achieve peace in Gaza”.
The other principles remain the same as those we’ve reported, including the gradual disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of an “international stabilisation force”.
As we’ve mentioned, Hamas has said it will only give up heavy weapons if Israel withdraws, while a senior Israeli official has said it won’t withdraw unless Hamas undergoes “genuine disarmament”.
Source: News Agencies
