Full IDF Withdrawal No Longer Required in Gaza

An earlier version of the Board of Peace’sroadmap for Gaza called for a full IDF withdrawal from the enclave as part of Hamas’ disarmament. However, in light of recent and ongoing strikes that have eliminated key terror operatives in the area—and in an apparent effort to gain greater support from Israeli officials—the Times of Israel reports that the word “full” has been removed from the roadmap’s language.

The apparent shift appeared to be part of the Board of Peace’s efforts to get Israel on board with its disarmament plan, after officials in Jerusalem insisted that no IDF withdrawals would take place until after the full disarmament of Hamas was complete, taking issue with the plan’s envisioning of a phased disarmament and withdrawal process.

But the apparent change to the disarmament terms risks losing Hamas, which only agreed to the original sequencing.

In its Monday statement on the “constructive” meeting with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, the Board of Peace wrote, “The goal is clear and is not in question: the complete decommissioning of weapons in the Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian governance. Reaching it will be a process. And that process will be set out in the next phase of the work.”

Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have maintained that the threat posed by Hamas remains very real, and argue that the agreement was developed in Egypt without Israeli input. Another concern is that Hamas could simply place its weapons into storage rather than permanently dispose of them.

Hours after the Board of Peace made today’s announcement, the IDF launched additional strikes and reported that operations carried out the previous day had eliminated a terrorist who participated in the October 7, 2023, attacks. A separate strike around the same time reportedly killed a Hamas battalion commander.

Based on the Board of Peace’s announcement and the IDF’s continued operations, it appears that Israel’s campaign in Gaza is far from over. The Fellowship and our donors continue topray for the men and women defending the Holy Land as we work to support them and their families.