Senior Israeli officials have said troops will not pull back from their current positions in Gaza unless Hamas carries out “genuine disarmament” in the territory. Hamas, however, said any handover of heavy weapons would depend on Israel ending all forms of aggression and withdrawing its forces from Gaza. US Proposal And Israeli ResponseThe latest developments follow remarks by Donald Trump, who said the Board of Peace had reached an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. On Friday, Trump said Israel was “very happy” with the proposal, calling it a “big step for the Middle East”. Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejected the draft, saying it was “not acceptable”. The issue is linked to the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The full proposal, unveiled last September, outlined a 20-point framework including the creation of the Board of Peace to oversee implementation, phased disarmament by Hamas, withdrawal of Israeli troops and reconstruction in Gaza. Speaking at a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, Trump said he had an “understanding” with Israel over the newest disarmament proposal agreed with Hamas, adding that “Israel’s very happy about it”. He said Hamas weapons would be transferred to the Board of Peace, but he did not directly answer a question about whether disarmament would happen before Israeli withdrawals or vice versa, saying Gaza remained “a very complex situation”. “Yellow Line” And Disarmament DemandThe Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had not commented publicly on the latest proposal by the time of reporting. A senior Israeli official said Israel’s position remained that there would be “no IDF withdrawal from the current Yellow Line” without Hamas’s genuine disarmament. The “Yellow Line” is the demarcation point within Gaza that Israel said it would withdraw to after a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last year. The arrangement was intended to leave Israel with temporary control behind the line, equivalent to about 53% of Gaza’s territory. However, Netanyahu has since said the IDF controls more than 60% of Gaza, and in May he said his “directive” was to move to 70%. In a statement, Hamas said Israel’s commitment to ending its attack on Gaza was a “fundamental prerequisite” for moving forward. It also described a right to “self-determination” and “establishing an independent Palestinian state”. Hamas said it had negotiated “responsibly and positively” with what it called national consensus among Palestinian factions. Palestinian officials involved in the talks said the decision by Hamas’s new leadership—described by them as the most consequential in the group’s history—was influenced by the humanitarian conditions facing more than 2 million people in Gaza. Earlier on Friday, the Board of Peace published what it called a roadmap for Gaza, reiterating a phased approach to disarmament, a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of an international stabilisation force. Reactions In Gaza, Israel And AbroadThe BBC heard from people in Gaza and Israel about the proposed agreement. Tala, 18, who said she has been living in a tent after her home was destroyed in air strikes, said ceasefire promises raise hopes but broken commitments create fear. She said daily life remained “very challenging” and emphasised the need to stop fighting and protect civilians. Jonny, in Israel, said he “prays” the ceasefire can work, adding that he does not see an end to the cycle of violence but hopes it will. The Israeli UN ambassador, Danny Danon, told CNN that Israel was “looking forward to implementing” the deal while saying it would need to verify actions rather than statements from Hamas. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the proposed agreement was “the only good news in recent days”. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the priority must be implementation of the full 20-point plan, including withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza and respect for the ceasefire by all parties. He said conditions in Gaza were still appalling and said Israel must “immediately end the unacceptable restrictions on aid”, which Israel denies. The war began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel then launched a military campaign in Gaza, during which the territory’s health ministry said more than 73,290 people have died; the UN considers the figures reliable. Join the discussion? 1 August 2026
View full article
