Israel intensifies Gaza strikes and reaffirms it will not withdraw before full Hamas disarmament

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed reservations to US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace regarding Israel’s planned withdrawal from Gaza. The board had proposed a phased withdrawal contingent upon Hamas’s complete disarmament, an agreement Trump hailed as a "major milestone" on Friday. However, two members of Netanyahu’s security cabinet urged a vote to revoke the deal after receiving the board's text, which called for an immediate phased withdrawal and cessation of Israeli strikes in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s spokesman stated that Israel had conveyed its concerns to the United States, noting that the public version of the board’s text did not accurately reflect Israel’s positions. Netanyahu’s office highlighted that Israel would retain control over much of Gaza under the Trump-led October ceasefire arrangement. The board’s high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, met with Netanyahu on Monday, acknowledging the difficulty of the negotiations.

Israel’s withdrawal beyond the Yellow Line, where Hamas still maintains control, would only proceed once weapons decommissioning is complete, as per Hamas’s commitment to the mediators. Hamas affirmed its adherence to the "agreed upon implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement," including commitments from all parties.

However, the situation remains tense, with Israel conducting military strikes in Gaza resulting in civilian casualties, drawing criticism from regional mediators.