Israel Appears To Be Ramping Up Strikes In Gaza. Hamas Warns It Can Derail Disarmament Deal

Board of Peace Gaza envoy Nickolay Mladenov lamented recent Israeli strikes in the enclave, saying his team is working to de-escalate the situation.

In a social media post, Mladenov said two days of strikes have "killed civilians and destroyed medical supplies that people depend on" after "intense efforts by the Board of Peace and the mediators (Egypt, Turkiye, Qatar and the US) to bring the Palestinian factions in Gaza to agree to a Roadmap on the full implementation of President Trump's plan, to hand over civilian governance and to decomission their weapons."

"Both parties carry obligations under the Comprehensive Plan and the Sharm El Sheikh deal that secured the release of all hostages. My team and I are working around the clock with the parties, the mediators and regional partners to de-escalate and create the space for the full implementation of the President's plan. Achieving a lasting peace is hard but achievable if everyone make their best efforts," he added.

According to The Times of Israel, a Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the plan will face obstacles unless the strikes stop. "We made it clear to the mediators that the continued attacks will disrupt the implementation of the agreement and the negotiations over its timeline," the official added. The group said it agreed to the deal, but it would only take steps towards disarmament if Israel ends attacks in Gaza, pulls back its forces and increases the flow of goods into the enclave. "We insisted to the mediators that Israel must abide by the agreement," he told Reuters last week.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office, however, said the announced roadmap "does not reflect" the country's position. "Israel has conveyed its comments and concerns on the proposed framework to our American counterparts," Doron Spielman said. "The version that has been made public does not reflect Israel's positions."

Spielman went on to say that "over the past eight months, according to Israeli intelligence, Hamas has used the ceasefire to rearm, recruit thousands of additional terrorists, rebuild its military infrastructure, and prepare for further October 7-style massacres."

"Anything short of full demilitarization will leave Hamas with the capability to threaten Israel again" he added.

President Donald Trump said last week that "the agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases. As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors."