The Peace Council confirmed that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip will begin only after the completion of the disarmament of Hamas, in response to Israel's objections to President Donald Trump's plan to end the war.
Published on: 04/08/2026 - 05:44 Last updated: 04/08/2026 - 05:45
The Peace Council charged with implementing President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza responded on Monday to Israel's concerns about the mechanism for implementing the agreement, stressing that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip will not begin until the complete disarmament of Hamas is completed.
This came after the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the United States of its concerns about the latest version of the plan, which stipulates a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, despite Trump’s praise of it and considering Hamas’ agreement to hand over its weapons to a Palestinian committee under formation as a “turning point.”
The Peace Council said, in a statement published on the
On the other hand, Hamas requested clarifications from the High Representative for Gaza Affairs at the Peace Council, Nickolay Mladenov, stressing its adherence to what was agreed upon regarding the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, and that it was awaiting a “clear and official response” from Mladenov and the mediators.
Read also: Israel informs Washington of its concerns about Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war and intensifies its strikes on the Strip
Egypt, Qatar and Turkey condemn the "continuing Israeli violations" in Gaza
The latest version of the plan angered Netanyahu's allies on the extreme right, as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich considered it "completely different" from what Israel thought was agreed upon, calling for an urgent meeting of the mini-security ministerial council to re-vote on it.
Israeli Prime Minister's Office spokesman Doron Spelman told Agence France-Presse that Israel informed American officials of its observations and concerns about the proposed framework, stressing that "the wording that was published does not reflect Israel's positions."
He added that Israeli intelligence services concluded that Hamas had rearmed itself and recruited elements since the ceasefire was announced, considering that any permanent arrangement must begin with "the effective, verifiable and irreversible disarmament of Hamas."
For its part, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, which are the mediating countries in the negotiations, condemned what they described as “continuous Israeli violations” in the Gaza Strip, considering that they undermine efforts to implement the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
On the ground, the Civil Defense in Gaza announced that two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike that targeted a vehicle west of Gaza City on Monday evening, while the Israeli army said that it targeted “fighters.” A security official in the Gaza Strip also reported that since Sunday morning, Israeli strikes have resulted in the killing of 19 Palestinians, including women and children.
France 24/AFP
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