The controversial deal: Disarmament on paper, danger on the ground
The cabinet signals opposition to clauses that allow Hamas to maintain its power, but on the ground, Israel is already acting according to the understandings. In the Gaza envelope, they warn against partial disarmament and its consequences.
Bereaved families and residents of the Gaza envelope, who experienced the massacre of October 7 — the human evil in its embodiment carried out by Hamas terrorists and ordinary Gazans — know that one does not sign deals with the devil. This innocence was murdered, burned, and buried almost three years ago. The only ones who can dream and actually sign agreements with Hamas are those who were not burned themselves by the massacre: the American Peace Council and those who have a hidden hand in terror against Israel — Turkey and Qatar. However, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Israel, and in practice the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers, gave their consent to the Peace Council in advance to manage Gaza as they wish, on the condition that Hamas be disarmed. How will it be disarmed? Under what conditions? The fine print became clear over the past week — and it is fateful.
The starting point for senior cabinet members alongside senior security officials is that with the accumulation of capabilities, Hamas has never given up and will never give up its murderous intentions. Therefore, any military capability must be denied to it, because desire alongside opportunities will exist forever. Consequently, Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed a very firm message to Mladenov in a meeting at the beginning of the week against clauses in the agreement that transfer Hamas's weapons from one Gazan hand to another. This is the reason that cabinet ministers Orit Strock and Bezalel Smotrich demanded that the Prime Minister not settle for statements and convene the cabinet for a vote de facto against the document approved by the Peace Council.
In order to retreat from the prior agreement that Israel signed with the Peace Council in order to receive the hostages, Israel will require a crisis with the Trump administration. Despite the statements of a senior political source over the last few days, the military echelon confirmed that they have moved to act against emerging threats in particular, which means that de facto Israel is surrendering to the document signed with Hamas even if it demands certain corrections behind the scenes.
Real disarmament is required
The Israel Envelope Forum sent a letter yesterday to the cabinet ministers and put in writing the critical issues in the agreement. This time, sitting as observers, the minimum that the cabinet ministers are required to do is to discuss seriously the objections of those who are indeed on the border and watching with concern what is happening.
The forum demands to prevent the entry of multinational forces into Gaza until real disarmament is carried out under IDF control and without leaving weapons in the Strip, and certainly not under Qatari/Turkish control and management. They also demand that Netanyahu's statement become policy — that there will be no withdrawal of IDF forces from the yellow line until full disarmament, and not as they suggest in the Peace Council, gradual disarmament in exchange for gradual withdrawal. In any outline, they emphasize, it is forbidden to leave the '70 ridge'. This is a ridge from which reaching the homes of Israeli residents becomes easy and targeting the communities becomes convenient.
The forum also emphasizes the ministers' call to reject outright the clause stating that at the end of the process, a path will be created or paved for a Palestinian state which, according to its laws and customs in the Judea and Samaria territories, encourages terror and finances it even if indirectly and more 'dressed up' than the cruel murder methods of Hamas. This is the same cabinet that set itself the goal of collapsing Hamas's rule militarily and civilly and has not yet finished the task. Any Israeli concession on this point will play into the hands of Hamas, even if not intentionally on the part of the Peace Council and its people. The blood of the soldiers in Gaza was not spilled to invite the next round upon us.
