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🇮🇱 Israel /Conflict & Security

US, Board of Peace Hail 'Historic Breakthrough' in Gaza; Israel Skeptical of Hamas Disarmament

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Senior US and Board of Peace officials announced Hamas has accepted a roadmap for Gaza that includes dismantling its military infrastructure and withdrawing from governance.
  • Israel remains skeptical, unconvinced that Hamas will fully surrender its weapons despite US assurances.
  • The proposed framework, built on 'zero trust,' mandates verification at each implementation stage, with a central principle of 'One Authority, One Law, One Weapon' for Gaza.

Senior United States and Board of Peace officials have hailed a potential 'historic breakthrough' in Gaza, announcing that Hamas has accepted a roadmap that could lead to the dismantling of its military infrastructure and its withdrawal from governing the territory. The plan reportedly requires Hamas to surrender weapons, destroy tunnels and weapons factories, and relinquish any governing or military role.

Israel didn’t believe we’d be able to secure the hostage releases or recover the bodies. Now they don’t believe Hamas will actually disarm.

— Senior US officialHighlighting Israel's persistent skepticism regarding the Gaza agreement.

However, Israeli officials remain deeply skeptical, expressing doubts that Hamas will ultimately disarm. This skepticism persists despite assurances from US officials who described the emerging framework as a significant achievement. One senior official acknowledged Israel's historical disbelief in securing hostage releases or recovering bodies, noting a similar lack of faith in Hamas's willingness to disarm.

The agreement, officials stressed, is not based on trust but on stringent conditions, reciprocity, and verification. Each phase of implementation requires independent verification before the next can commence. The process automatically halts if either party fails to meet its commitments. "This is an agreement built on zero trust," one official stated, emphasizing that neither side will advance without verified obligations from the other.

This is an agreement built on zero trust. Neither side will be asked to take a step unless the other side’s obligations have been verified.

— Senior US officialExplaining the verification-based nature of the Gaza roadmap.

The core principle of the roadmap is articulated as 'One Authority, One Law, One Weapon.' Under this plan, a new Palestinian technocratic administration, established under the Board of Peace's auspices, would gain a monopoly on all weapons in Gaza. Hamas and other armed factions would cede their civilian and military roles, with civil administration and policing gradually transferred to the new authority. This includes the surrender of police weapons, heavy weaponry, ammunition, and tunnel networks, ensuring no ambiguity that would allow Hamas to retain military capabilities while formally leaving power.

One Authority, One Law, One Weapon.

— US officialsDescribing the central principle of the proposed Gaza framework.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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