Peace Board source criticizes Israel’s policy toward Hamas — Jerusalem Post
A source close to the Peace Board criticized Israel’s policy regarding operations in the Gaza Strip, saying that the elimination of individual Hamas members would not lead to the dismantling of the group. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post.
According to the publication’s interlocutor, Israeli policy involves targeted killings, while Hamas retains armed forces and authority in Gaza. He said the Peace Board seeks the complete dismantling and elimination of Hamas, including its military and governing structures.
Plan for phased disarmament
The dispute arose over the further implementation of an agreement concluded on July 30 between Hamas and the Peace Board on phased disarmament. US President Donald Trump announced the agreement that day. It provided for Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza to surrender their weapons, for the weapons to be inventoried and stored, and for their military capabilities to be dismantled.
Under the framework plan, the process was to take place under international supervision and be linked to the transfer of civilian and security powers to new Palestinian and international structures. Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey took part in the negotiations. An initial 14-day period was allotted to prepare the implementation mechanism.
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Israel’s position and operations in Gaza
At the beginning of August, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel rejects the 15-point plan for Gaza and that the Israel Defense Forces would not withdraw troops until Hamas is genuinely disarmed. Peace Board representatives proposed 14 days of calm, except for operations against immediate threats, in order to begin the disarmament procedure.
Israeli officials claim that Hamas used the period of limited strikes to rebuild and strengthen its military capabilities rather than to prepare for disarmament. In recent weeks, Israeli forces reported the elimination and detention of Hamas field commanders. The operations cited included the elimination of Nael Abu Obeida, whom Israel identified as the commander of a Hamas brigade in Rafah, as well as the capture in Gaza City of Muin al-Arbid, who was described as the head of Hamas’s general security service.
The Peace Board source believes that even successful operations against individual commanders do not resolve the issue of Hamas’s military and political presence in the Gaza Strip. According to him, if the group does not disarm, the Israel Defense Forces could receive international support for the forcible dismantling of its structures.
