Israel Says Hamas Commanders Remain a Separate Target
Israel has informed the Board of Peace that it will continue targeting security operatives affiliated with Hamas inside the Gaza Strip, according to sources cited by Al Arabiya/Al Hadath on Wednesday. The sources said the departure of Hamas’s armed leadership from Gaza is considered a necessary matter for Israel, adding that Israel told the Washington-backed board that Hamas’s military commanders represent a target separate from President Trump’s broader Gaza plan.
At Least Six Killed in a Strike on a Beach Camp Cafe
The statement came a day after the Israeli military announced it had targeted several Hamas commanders in an airstrike while they were meeting at a cafe in the Beach camp area, northern Gaza, saying in a statement that those targeted had been planning attacks against Israeli forces operating inside the Strip. The Israeli military did not disclose the identities of the commanders it said it had targeted, while an Al Arabiya correspondent reported at least six people had been killed.
A Quarter of Gaza to Become a Permanent Buffer Zone, as Disarmament Talks Continue
Sources said Israel had also submitted a detailed plan to US envoy Jared Kushner on the process of disarming Hamas in Gaza, requesting that disarmament begin first in specific designated areas, while also demanding to participate in and supervise the implementation stages of the process. The sources added that Israel is requesting the removal of mid-level Hamas military commanders from Gaza entirely, and has informed Kushner of its wish to convert a quarter of Gaza’s total area into a permanent buffer zone.
Separately, a Board of Peace official said Tuesday that work is underway to establish mechanisms for disarming Hamas, noting ongoing coordination with both Israel and the movement on the matter as part of the broader roadmap for Gaza. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told AFP that the movement remains committed to the agreed-upon path, while saying Israel has not yet given mediators clear approval of the roadmap itself. Hamas agreed in late July to a US-drafted roadmap for launching the second phase of the peace plan, which calls for its disarmament alongside an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza — of which Israel currently controls more than 60% — while Netanyahu has demanded Hamas’s disarmament take place “genuinely” before any such withdrawal proceeds.