Board of Peace caves to Netanyahu and rewrites Israeli withdrawal terms from Gaza

The Board of Peace has, under pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, revised the terms for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The board, backed by the United States, has made the complete disarmament of Hamas a prerequisite for any Israeli withdrawal beyond the Yellow Line, the demarcation that splits Gaza between Israeli and Palestinian control.

This shift in policy marks a departure from the board's previous, phased approach, which had been outlined last week. The board emphasized that the withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will only proceed once Hamas has completed the disarmament process, encompassing light weapons, heavy weaponry, and tunnel systems. This condition was revealed following a meeting between the board's senior officials and Netanyahu on Monday.

The Yellow Line was delineated after a cessation of hostilities in October 2025. Since then, Israel has expanded its control over Palestinian territory within Gaza, now holding more than 60 percent of the enclave. Netanyahu has publicly expressed ambitions to increase Israel's control to approximately 70 percent.