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

The Board of Peace, an US-backed organization, has altered the conditions for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The board has linked any withdrawal beyond the Yellow Line, a boundary separating Israeli and Palestinian-controlled areas in Gaza, to the complete disarmament of Hamas. This shift from a phased approach to a full disarmament requirement contradicts the board's earlier stance.

The Yellow Line, established after a ceasefire in October 2025, has resulted in Israel controlling over 60% of Gaza, with Netanyahu's ambition to increase this control to approximately 70%. Initially, the board had proposed an initial withdrawal to the Yellow Line contingent on disarming Hamas. However, this proposal was later revised to remove the term "full" from the withdrawal description, aligning more closely with Netanyahu's demands that Israel maintain forces until Hamas is fully disarmed.

This revision contradicts Nickolay Mladenov, the board's high representative, who previously stated that withdrawal must coincide with disarming Hamas. Hamas had initially accepted the original disarmament sequence, but the board's reversal risks undermining this agreement while rewarding Israel's refusal to cease attacks on Gaza. Netanyahu reportedly informed Mladenov that Israel will neither halt its attacks nor withdraw from the Yellow Line.

Israel has also sought assurances that, even post-Hamas disarmament, it retains the right to attack Gaza. Additionally, Israel objected to Turkish and Qatari participation in a committee overseeing disarmament, demanding that Hamas weapons be destroyed rather than stored. High representative Mladenov downplayed the significance of the talks, stating they are "slow, grinding, and technical work," marking the beginning of a challenging phase.