Jerusalem, Israel. Israeli forces will not fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas has completed its disarmament, US President Donald Trump’s Peace Council said on Monday after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The council said the Israel Defence Forces would remain in position until Hamas had fulfilled commitments made to mediators.
Withdrawal condition
In a statement posted on X, the council said that a full withdrawal of Israeli forces beyond the Yellow Line would not take place until Hamas had completed its disarmament.
“We note that the full withdrawal of the Israel Defence Forces beyond the Yellow Line will not take place until the disarmament, to which Hamas committed to the mediators, is completed,” the statement said.
The Yellow Line is the military demarcation separating areas of the Gaza Strip controlled by Hamas from territories held by Israeli forces.
Proposed roadmap
The announcement followed a meeting between Peace Council members and Netanyahu as efforts continue to secure an end to the conflict, which has entered its third year.
The council has presented the proposed arrangement as part of a roadmap to end hostilities, transfer governance in Gaza to a new Palestinian administrative body and oversee the phased dismantling of Hamas’ military infrastructure.
The proposal envisages the decommissioning and storage of heavy weapons, military production facilities, weapons depots and tunnel networks under the supervision of the planned National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
Hamas and Israeli positions
Hamas has previously said it was prepared to accept what it called a “difficult and painful” agreement. It has maintained, however, that implementation depends on Israel first meeting commitments under an earlier ceasefire framework, including ending military operations and withdrawing its forces.
Israeli officials have consistently said that a complete military withdrawal would not take place until Hamas was effectively disarmed and no longer posed a security threat.
The Peace Council’s latest statement reinforced that position, saying that the withdrawal of Israeli forces beyond the Yellow Line remained conditional on completion of the disarmament process agreed through mediators.
