An Israeli official is clarifying that the Gaza issue never came up in the meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump. Israel is emphasizing that the complete disarmament of Hamas and demilitarization of the Strip are fundamental conditions for any agreement. The official also said there will be no withdrawal from the Yellow Line before the process is completed, and that Israel’s reservations have been conveyed to envoy Tony Blair.
1+Against the backdrop of reports about progress in contacts for a Gaza Strip arrangement, an Israeli official is clarifying that Israel is not changing its principled position: full disarmament of Hamas and complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip are preconditions for any political or security process, and there will be no Israeli withdrawal from the Yellow Line before their completion.
According to the official, the Gaza issue never came up in the meeting between Netanyahu and Trump. The official further emphasized that Israel is demanding the removal of all combat equipment from the Strip and the complete dismantling of Hamas’s military capabilities as a basic condition for any future framework.
1+The clarification comes after we first reported on significant progress in contacts for the next phase in the Strip. According to sources in Israel and Gaza, a framework is being examined that includes handing over combat equipment and storing it under an agreed mechanism, alongside revealing tunnel locations and international oversight of the agreement’s implementation. Israeli sources even assessed that “the direction looks positive,” though they emphasized that no final understandings have been reached.
However, the Israeli official notes that the “15 Points” document, which is at the center of the discussions, does not adequately address Israel’s fundamental demands regarding Hamas’s disarmament. According to the official, Jerusalem has already conveyed its reservations on the matter to international envoy Tony Blair, and made clear it will not agree to a framework that does not guarantee full demilitarization of the Strip.