Netanyahu Holds the Line on Withdrawal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed. Speaking in a filmed interview, he said he remains committed to his position on what he called Israel’s security interests, affirming that Israeli forces will not pull back from their current positions before Hamas’s weapons are completely removed. He added that President Trump and his team believe full disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza are achievable, noting that Israel is still reviewing a US-drafted proposal on the matter — one his government has already reviewed and sent back to Washington with objections.
Hamas Seeks Clarification, Voices “Discomfort”
The statement came as Hamas requested clarification Tuesday from the Board of Peace, chaired by President Trump, expressing what a movement official described as discomfort over statements regarding its expected disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. A Hamas official told AFP that the movement and other factions were uneasy about a statement issued by Board of Peace senior Gaza representative Nikolai Mladenov following his meeting with Netanyahu, saying the statement focused solely on the weapons file without addressing Israeli military obligations or other agreed provisions, including humanitarian aspects or a halt to all forms of attacks on Gaza. A separate Hamas official said the movement is awaiting a “clear, official response” from Mladenov regarding what had been agreed upon, stressing that Hamas remains committed to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, including provisions on restricting, collecting, and storing weapons — but insisted Israel must implement the deal without delay or obstruction, which requires pressure from mediators and the Board of Peace.
Qatar Blames Israel, and a Contradiction Emerges Over Sequencing.
Separately, Qatar held Israel responsible on Tuesday for the delay in implementing Trump’s Gaza plan. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told reporters it is clear to the international community who is obstructing implementation of the agreement, adding that full responsibility falls on the Israeli side. He said the intensification of Israeli strikes in recent days represents an attempt by Israel to disrupt peaceful solutions to the conflict.
Following a Monday meeting with Netanyahu, the Board of Peace wrote on X that an Israeli withdrawal beyond the “yellow line” separating Hamas-controlled areas from those under Israeli military control “will only happen after the disarmament process is complete, as Hamas has committed to mediators.” That position appears to contradict what Mladenov had said on Friday, when he stated that “withdrawal must proceed in full parallel with the disarmament process.” Hamas had announced Friday its agreement to hand over its weapons under the US president’s peace plan, with the board publishing a roadmap involving gradual disarmament alongside a “gradual Israeli withdrawal” — but Israel has rejected withdrawing before disarmament is completed in a verifiable manner.