FLASH
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Israel has given Hamas a 60-day deadline to surrender all its weapons or face a new military offensive in the Gaza Strip, a senior Israeli official said yesterday, escalating pressure on the Palestinian group as ceasefire violations and deadly air strikes threaten to shatter fragile ceasefire agreements.
Israeli Finance Minister Yossi Fuchs said the timeline was requested by the administration of US President Donald Trump and would be part of broader diplomatic efforts to stabilize Gaza after months of devastating war.
"The Trump administration has requested a 60-day period and we respect that," Fuchs said during a conference in Jerusalem.
He added that during that period Hamas "must hand over all its weapons," including rifles such as AK-47s, which Israeli leaders consider central to the group's military capability.
“If it works, great. If not, then the Israel Defense Forces should complete the mission,” he said, apparently referring to the possibility of resuming large-scale military operations.
Fuchs did not specify exactly when the countdown would begin, but suggested it could come after a meeting of the US-led "Peace Council" expected in Washington later this week.
He implied that by the next Israeli elections, scheduled for later this year, either Hamas will be disarmed, or Israeli forces will engage in a new military campaign in Gaza.
The ultimatum comes as violence continues despite a ceasefire agreement that went into effect in October. Gaza's civil defense agency said at least 12 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli airstrikes since Sunday morning, underscoring the volatile situation.
The Israeli military said its operations targeted Hamas members who allegedly violated the ceasefire by emerging from the tunnel infrastructure and approaching Israeli troops near the so-called Yellow Line, a security zone separating Israeli and Palestinian forces.
An Israeli military official described such moves as a "flagrant violation of the ceasefire" and proof that Hamas was systematically trying to hit Israeli troops.
Israeli forces have carried out repeated operations against tunnel networks in southern Gaza, particularly near Rafah, where the army said dozens of Hamas militants had been hiding for months. The army has said it has killed or captured about 50 members of the organization in recent months as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Hamas' underground infrastructure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made disarmament a central condition for Gaza's future, insisting that reconstruction cannot proceed as long as Hamas holds onto weapons.
He has argued that even small arms, such as assault rifles, pose a serious threat and should be surrendered completely.
The disarmament request is part of the second phase of a US-backed plan, launched in January, to reshape the governance and security landscape in Gaza after the war. The plan includes further withdrawal of Israeli forces, expanded humanitarian aid, reconstruction efforts and the creation of new administrative bodies to govern the area, including an international stabilization force and a Palestinian administrative committee.
Washington announced earlier this year the creation of several transitional structures, including a Peace Council, a Gaza Executive Council, and a National Committee to administer the territory. While the committee began work in Cairo soon after its establishment, its ability to operate inside Gaza has been delayed by security and logistical obstacles related to Israeli control of border crossings.
Meanwhile, Hamas accused Israel of repeatedly violating the terms of the ceasefire, particularly at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The group said Israel had imposed severe restrictions on movement and had not allowed the agreed number of Palestinians to leave and return to Gaza, including patients seeking urgent medical treatment abroad.
In a statement, Hamas described Israel's actions as a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire and accused Israeli forces of subjecting the Palestinian returnees to harsh interrogations, threats and restrictions on bringing personal belongings into the area.
According to Gaza authorities, only about 811 Palestinians have crossed Rafah since the partial opening of the border crossing in early February, out of about 2,800 expected travelers, a third of the agreed level.
Hamas warned that thousands of wounded and seriously ill patients remain at risk due to delays in medical evacuations and called on international mediators and guarantors to intervene and implement the terms of the ceasefire.
The escalation of tensions highlights the fragility of the current ceasefire and the major challenges facing diplomatic efforts to stabilize Gaza.
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