Israel curbs Gaza strikes as 15-point disarmament plan stalls

Israel has restricted strikes in Gaza to immediate threats only, yielding to pressure from President Donald Trump's Board of Peace as negotiators push a 15-point disarmament roadmap that Hamas accepted but Netanyahu has not endorsed.

"We will not withdraw from our current positions until Hamas is fully disarmed," Netanyahu said in a video posted to Facebook, adding that Washington had shared a draft roadmap that Israel has not accepted. "They sent us a draft that we did not approve, and we sent them our comments on it."

Under the new rules of engagement, the Israeli military may strike only at immediate threats, with all targeted strikes requiring approval from Chief of Staff Lieutenant Eyal Zamir or the Prime Minister's Office. The restriction follows a meeting between Board of Peace Director General Nikolay Mladenov and Netanyahu, after which the board clarified that full Israeli withdrawal beyond the Yellow Line would not occur until heavy weapons, tunnel infrastructure, and light arms are dismantled.

The standoff carries direct consequences for the 73,000 Palestinians killed and 174,000 injured since October 2023, and for the 1,252 killed since the Oct. 10, 2025 ceasefire. With Israeli elections approaching and Netanyahu dependent on far-right coalition allies who oppose the roadmap's terms, the deal's implementation faces a narrowing political window.

Disarmament sequencing splits the parties

At the center of the dispute is the sequence of disarmament and withdrawal. The roadmap announced by the Board of Peace, which Hamas accepted last week, calls for the two processes to proceed in tandem: weapons would be placed under a National Committee for Gaza Administration under international supervision, alongside a phased Israeli pullback and the beginning of reconstruction. The plan also envisions handing civilian administration of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee and deploying an international stabilization force.

Israel, however, insists disarmament must be completed before any withdrawal begins. The Israeli military currently controls roughly 70 percent of the Gaza Strip following a war that, according to Palestinian figures, has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 174,000 since October 2023. Despite a ceasefire in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli strikes have continued, killing 1,252 Palestinians and wounding 4,120 others since the truce took hold.

Hamas, for its part, said it remains committed to the terms of the ceasefire's second phase as previously agreed. But Hamas Politburo member Ghazi Hamad told the Wall Street Journal, "We didn't say disarmament, we didn't say handing over the weapons, and we didn't agree on any Israeli involvement." The group insists all arms be handed over only to other Palestinians, an idea enshrined in the new roadmap.

Regional pressure mounts on Israel

Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar issued a joint statement Monday expressing "strong condemnation and denunciation of the ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip," calling continued targeted strikes on Hamas leaders "a breach of the agreement." Indonesia on Tuesday "strongly condemned" Israel's continued military attacks, urging Israel to "immediately and permanently cease" its offensive and honor commitments under the ceasefire deal.

The Board of Peace was established by Trump in January to oversee Gaza's post-war transition after the ceasefire agreement ended major combat operations that began with Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The board's 15-point roadmap was accepted by Hamas last week, but Israel has not formally endorsed it, and members of Netanyahu's far-right coalition have expressed opposition to its terms.

The broader framework also calls on all parties to reaffirm commitments under existing international agreements and UN Security Council resolutions. However, the divergence between a phased, parallel approach backed by the board and Hamas, and Israel's demand for verified, completed disarmament before any troop movement, has left the roadmap's implementation in limbo. The last time Israel faced comparable external pressure to halt military operations during a negotiated transition was the 2005 Gaza disengagement, when then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon withdrew troops and settlers unilaterally — a move that preceded Hamas's electoral victory in 2006 and the group's armed takeover of Gaza in 2007.

With elections around the corner in Israel, Netanyahu's reliance on far-right allies who reject the roadmap's terms creates a structural conflict between his political survival and the deal's implementation. If Israel continues targeted strikes despite the new restrictions, the Board of Peace's credibility erodes and Hamas may walk away from the disarmament framework. If Israel fully complies, Netanyahu risks alienating the coalition partners whose support he needs to remain in power.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.