Israel has declared it will keep troops in the Gaza Strip and continue operations until Hamas is fully disarmed, rejecting suggestions to halt attacks without a complete weapons surrender. The Trump-backed Board of Peace proposes a staged roadmap: cease hostilities, transfer security and administration to a Palestinian transitional authority, and implement international monitoring as heavy weapons are stored and depots closed. Hamas demands an immediate end to Israeli operations and full withdrawal before handing over heavy arms. President Isaac Herzog welcomed the initiative but reiterated disarmament as a precondition for progress.
Israel Won't Withdraw From Gaza Or Halt Strikes Until Hamas Is Disarmed, Senior Official Says
The aftermath of an Israeli strike on the Al-Hawajri family home in the center of Nuseirat Camp, where extensive destruction has affected the surrounding area and left many buildings damaged or destroyed. (is associated with: «Israeli official rejects Gaza troop withdrawal and end to attacks») Ramzi Abu Amer/JNA via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Israel has said it will keep troops in the Gaza Strip and continue military operations until Hamas is fully disarmed, a senior government official said on Monday.
"Israel will not withdraw from its current position in the Gaza Strip and will continue to thwart any threat to our citizens and soldiers," the official said.
Trump-Backed Roadmap And Conditions
The statement follows US President Donald Trump's announcement that an agreement had been reached to disarm Hamas under a roadmap published by the Trump-backed Board of Peace. Under the plan, Hamas would transfer weapons to a Palestinian transitional administration as part of a staged disarmament process.
Hamas has made implementation conditional on an immediate halt to Israeli military operations and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces. The group says it would only hand over heavy weapons if Israeli troops fully withdraw from the coastal territory and concrete steps toward Palestinian statehood are taken.
Roadmap: Staged Disarmament And International Oversight
The Board's roadmap calls for a staged cessation of hostilities, followed by the establishment of a Palestinian transitional administration supported by an international stabilisation force. Heavy weapons are to be placed in storage, arms depots and production facilities shut down, and tunnels rendered inoperable. International monitors would verify progress while Israel's military presence is reduced gradually in parallel with verified disarmament.
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board's high representative for Gaza, has publicly criticised Israeli strikes that resulted in civilian deaths, highlighting the humanitarian dimension of the conflict and complicating political negotiations.
Israel has reiterated that it will not withdraw its forces or permit weapons to remain in Gaza unless Hamas is fully disarmed. That position contrasts with Hamas's demand for an immediate cessation of operations and full Israeli withdrawal before handing over heavy arms.
President Isaac Herzog welcomed the Board of Peace initiative but underlined that disarmament is a prerequisite for progress. "I hope that Hamas will be completely disarmed. That is clearly the basis for moving on to the next phase and establishing a technocratic government," he said in a statement.
The Board of Peace is slated to oversee Gaza's reconstruction and the post-war order. The roadmap says a timetable for implementation could be finalised within 14 days if both sides accept the proposals, but mutual distrust and security concerns make negotiations fragile.
Currently, Israel controls more than half of the sealed-off coastal territory while Hamas has consolidated control over the remaining areas under the ceasefire. Disarmament, reconstruction and political arrangements will face significant practical and political hurdles in the weeks ahead.
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