Hamas says still ready to go ahead with Gaza plan

Hamas has declared its continued readiness to advance with the US-backed Gaza peace plan, urging pressure on Israel despite the latter's insistence that it did not acquiesce to the latest part of the agreement. The militant group informed US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace that it remains committed to the plan, which involves handing over weapons to a new Palestinian governing committee in the war-torn territory.

After receiving Israeli approval, Hamas and other factions are prepared to commence the second phase of the agreement, a Hamas official told AFP. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, appealed to the US administration to exert pressure on Israel to ensure compliance with the deal and progress to the second phase.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a critical re-election campaign in October and facing opposition from his right-wing base, denied that Israel had agreed to the draft presented by the Board of Peace. Following a meeting on Monday with the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, Netanyahu claimed that Israel would withdraw only after Hamas had completed a full disarmament.

Israel's military has vowed to continue targeting Hamas, which carried out Israel's deadliest attack on Oct 7, 2023. While recent days have seen a decrease in the intensity of Israeli operations in Gaza, the military's operations have resulted in the deaths of 1,257 Palestinians since the conflict began in October 2023, according to Hamas-controlled health figures deemed reliable by the United Nations. Israeli forces have reported five casualties among their own personnel during the same period.