The Israeli Prime Minister’s office said that Tel Aviv does not support an international force entering Gaza or rebuilding the Strip until Hamas disarms.
“Contrary to media reports, the political echelon has not approved the entry of the international force to the Gaza Strip,” the statement reads. “Israel has made it clear that there will not be any reconstruction in the Strip before Hamas is fully disarmed.”
Earlier this week, military officers from Burundi and Uganda toured sites in Gaza with the IDF. Some reports said the foreign officers were a part of the initial formation of an international stabilization force (ISF) in Gaza.
The ISF is part of the Board of Peace agreement that was brokered by President Donald Trump in October. Earlier this month, Trump announced that the deal had progressed and Hamas was prepared to disarm in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
“Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” the President wrote on Truth Social. “This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people.”
Netanyahu and other top Israeli leaders have repeatedly stated that the IDF will not withdraw from Gaza, and any rebuilding in the Strip will only begin after the Palestinians are disarmed. Hamas has pressed Washington to force Tel Aviv to comply with the deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly rejected the proposal to disarm Hamas.
“Israel does not accept the 15-point document,” Netanyahu told members of the Israeli cabinet earlier this month. The military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed … it means heavy weaponry, lighter weaponry, all weaponry.”
He continued, “And we are talking about genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament. [The US] have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some of which are unacceptable to us.”
