"As long as Hamas is not disarmed - there is no room for progress": Head of Eshkol Council attacks the Cabinet
Eshkol Regional Council Head Michal Uziahu has criticized the Security Cabinet's decision to launch a "Peace Council" pilot in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed. She stated that for Gaza envelope residents, this is a fundamental security issue rather than a political one.
The Security Cabinet approved on Sunday the launch of a pilot phase for the "Peace Council" plan in the Gaza Strip. The initiative is part of a broader effort to restore basic services, provide humanitarian aid, and establish civil infrastructure in areas no longer under Hamas control.
Following the announcement, the head of the Eshkol Regional Council, Michal Uziahu, sent a sharp letter to the Security Cabinet condemning the decision: "For the residents of the Gaza envelope, who paid the heaviest price on October 7, this is not a political question but a fundamental security requirement that will ensure that such a reality does not repeat itself."
"We support the promotion of a stable and safe reality in the region, but true stability cannot be based on the assumption that Hamas will continue to exist beyond the fence. As long as the terrorist organization is not disarmed and has not lost its military and governing capabilities, there is no room for progress in the rehabilitation stages of the Strip," she added.
In response to the Cabinet's decision, the "Future for the Envelope" movement demanded an explanation from the government: "Does this decision make the residents of the envelope safer? If the answer is not unequivocal, one must not move forward."
According to the movement, any rehabilitation or political process must begin only after Hamas ceases to be a military and governing threat to the State of Israel. "It is impossible to talk about the 'day after' when there is still no certainty that the threat of 'yesterday' has been removed; the residents of the envelope are not satisfied with promises and are not prepared to return to October 6," the group stated.
Any future outline must include effective monitoring and control mechanisms to ensure the IDF's freedom of action, the ability to monitor the situation in the Strip in real-time, and the early detection of any attempts by terrorist elements to reorganize.
