Israel signals no withdrawal from Gaza despite Trump’s disarmament plan: The details

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

The Israeli army carries out one to two targeted killings a day against Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters in Gaza.

These are preliminary figures provided by the army in an apparent attempt to justify its refusal to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. The army insists it will not withdraw from Gaza as long as Hamas possesses even a single weapon, according to an official in the army’s Southern Command.

This comes despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a historic agreement calling for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all armed groups in the Gaza Strip. 

Trump described it as a decisive step toward achieving peace and security and placing Gaza under the rule of a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace, while ensuring Israel’s security by preventing Gaza from being used again as a base for attacks against it.

On the ground, the army is seeking to replicate in Gaza the model of the yellow line it brought from Gaza to Lebanon.

Its approach is based on refusing to withdraw, while expanding its deployment in buffer zones and ensuring freedom of military action to target Hamas members and its infrastructure.

Between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, Tel Aviv considers Iran to have the final say, raising a major question over the success of implementing Trump’s plan.

At this time, the Israeli army has not only deployed its forces and maintained control of the yellow line and buffer zones, but has also intensified its pursuit of Hamas members through Palestinian agent groups that say they operate with the support of the Shin Bet. The agency has created what it calls the Nili team.

Meanwhile, an army report revealed that a large force from the 188th Brigade, comprising three battalions, is currently operating in Gaza and carrying out defense and security enforcement missions there.

The report sought to justify the killing of dozens of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the past three months, claiming they had violated the yellow line, which has become known as the “death zone” for Palestinians.