Israeli media have focused on the future of the “roadmap” intended to end Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has continued since October 2023.
US President Donald Trump has insisted that the Israeli occupation state is “satisfied” with the agreement reached with Hamas. However, statements emerging from Tel Aviv suggest that Israel is attempting to evade key provisions, particularly its withdrawal from Gaza alongside the beginning of efforts to “disarm” the resistance in the territory, which has been under siege for 19 years.
Attempts to Obstruct the Agreement
Shortly after all provisions of the roadmap were published by the US-backed Board of Peace under the supervision of the Trump administration, an Israeli political official said the Israeli military would not withdraw from its current position along the “Yellow Line” unless Hamas was genuinely disarmed.
The statement was reported by the Hebrew-language Walla website in an article written by journalist Idan Kofler.
According to the report, the statement came in response to reports of political progress in Gaza following Hamas’s announcement that it had accepted the peace plan.
Growing assessments in Tel Aviv claim that Hamas will be the party to violate the agreement by refusing to surrender its weapons.
Walla reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not expected to oppose the current process because, according to those assessments, “he does not want to appear before the Americans as the party obstructing the agreement”.
The report added that there is a prevailing belief in Israel that none of the withdrawals stipulated in the agreement are likely to be implemented, at least until the Israeli elections scheduled for next October.
Trump had previously said that Israel was committed to the Gaza peace plan.
He also addressed the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the “Yellow Line”, describing the announcement of an agreement with Hamas as a “major breakthrough”.
Washington Presents Itself as Guarantor
When asked whether Israel’s withdrawal would take place before Hamas was “disarmed”, or whether disarmament would come first, and whether Israel was fully committed to the agreement, Trump replied: “We have an understanding with Israel on that.”
“Will there be ups and downs? It is an extremely complicated situation, but it will be a major breakthrough. Nobody believed that disarming Hamas was possible,” he added.
Alongside the occupation state’s public positions on the agreement, Saudi reports said Washington had given Hamas a direct commitment that it would not allow Netanyahu to sabotage the deal.
The reports said the United States had pledged to compel Netanyahu to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and implement the agreement, presenting the Trump administration as its guarantor.
According to those reports, the US administration conveyed the pledge to Hamas during a telephone call with one of the mediators in the presence of a delegation from the movement.
Washington reportedly promised to guarantee the principle of reciprocity in implementing the Gaza peace agreement and to prevent Netanyahu from derailing the process.
The reports further stated that the United States would compel Tel Aviv to implement all provisions of the agreement, including withdrawal from Gaza and the completion of the remaining obligations accepted by the parties.
