The US-led Board of Peace says Israel will withdraw the IDF from Gaza only after Hamas has been fully disarmed, asserting any pullback beyond the Yellow Line depends on complete decommissioning. The statement came after President Trump announced an agreement for Hamas to hand weapons to a Palestinian transitional administration. Hamas has tied implementation to a halt in Israeli operations and a full withdrawal, while Israel insists on disarmament before leaving. The Board, which includes Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, is seen by some as controversial and potentially competing with the UN.
Board of Peace: Israel Will Withdraw From Gaza Only After Hamas Is Fully Disarmed, Council Says
FILE PHOTO - Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians crowd along the seaport in Gaza City, amid high summer temperatures. (is associated with: «Board of Peace: Israel only to withdraw from Gaza after Hamas disarmed») Bilal Osama/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
The US-led Board of Peace said on Monday that it expects the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to make a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip only after Hamas has been disarmed.
Responding on X to what it called inaccurate reporting, the Board reiterated that any pullback of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will occur only once decommissioning is complete, in line with commitments it says Hamas made to mediators.
"This covers light weapons, heavy weapons, and the tunnel networks alike," the Board wrote on X.
The statement followed US President Donald Trump's announcement last week that an agreement had been reached to disarm Hamas. Under a roadmap published by the Board of Peace, Hamas would transfer its weapons to a Palestinian transitional administration.
Hamas, however, has conditioned implementation on an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza. The group also says it will hand over heavy weapons only if Israeli forces fully withdraw from the coastal territory and a Palestinian state is established.
Israel has maintained that it will not permit weapons to be stored in Gaza and says it will only withdraw once Hamas has been fully disarmed.
Board Composition and Controversy
The so-called Board of Peace — whose members include Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey — was established earlier this year to implement a Gaza peace plan mediated by President Trump. The initiative has proved controversial: several countries, including Germany, have expressed concern that it could act as a rival body to the United Nations.
Implications: The dispute highlights the complexities of sequencing disarmament, withdrawal and political recognition in any Gaza settlement. Key obstacles remain the timing of an Israeli withdrawal, verification of weapons decommissioning, and whether a transitional Palestinian administration would have broad legitimacy.
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