Israeli security cabinet to weigh resumption of Gaza war

Israel mulls return to Gaza war as Hamas continues to rebuff calls to disarm.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s security cabinet was set to meet Sunday to discuss the possible renewal of intensive military operations in Gaza, amid an ongoing deadlock in talks over Hamas’s disarmament and the demilitarization of the Strip.

The meeting follows what Israeli officials described as growing frustration over Hamas’s response to a proposal advanced by Nickolay Mladenov, who is leading President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.

“Hamas is not honoring the disarmament agreement. We are holding discussions with the mediators, but we will not tolerate continued delays,” a senior Israeli official told Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster.

Hamas has submitted a counteroffer demanding that the issue of its weapons be addressed only as part of a broader framework culminating in the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Two Arab diplomats familiar with the negotiations told the outlet that Hamas has largely resisted demands to give up all of its weapons. They said the group is seeking more definitive guarantees on Palestinian statehood before discussing disarmament.

Trump’s Gaza plan calls for Israeli troops to withdraw from the enclave and for reconstruction to begin as Hamas lays down its weapons. The disarmament issue has become a central obstacle to implementing the plan and solidifying the ceasefire reached in October.

A partially leaked Board of Peace proposal sets out an eight-month timeline, beginning with Hamas handing over heavy weapons and maps of its tunnel network within 90 days.

Israeli officials view Hamas’s response as an attempt to buy time and preserve its military rule under mediation cover, increasing the likelihood of renewed large-scale operations.

Media reports said last week that Israel’s political leadership recently blocked a multinational force from entering Gaza for a field visit, insisting first on concrete steps toward disarmament and the formation of a technocratic government.

The IDF said Saturday it killed at least three Hamas terrorists and wounded another after they crossed the Yellow Line and approached Israeli forces in southern Gaza in what the military said posed an imminent threat.

The cabinet discussion is expected to focus on whether continued mediation can still produce progress or whether Israel should return to broader military action against Hamas.