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Israel has restricted strikes in the Gaza Strip under pressure from US President Donald Trump as his negotiators hold talks with Hamas, according to Ynet News.
As per the report, the Israeli government has ordered the military to stop strikes in Gaza as Trump's Board of Peace is holding talks with Hamas for disarmament.
Under the new rules of engagement, the Israeli military may only strike at any immediate threat, and all targeted strikes must be stopped unless specifically approved either by the Chief of Staff Lieutenant Eyal Zamir or the Prime Minister's Office.
The development comes after Board of Peace Director General Nikolay Mladenov held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him that Israel must stop strikes in Gaza for two weeks to allow negotiations with Hamas to be completed.
The Mladenov-Netanyahu meeting took place days after Trump on July 30 announced that the Board of Peace had reached an agreement with Hamas to for disarmament, with the Board of Peace separately saying that Hamas had agreed to a “detailed road map” on disarmament in exchange of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
But there had been no confirmation from Israel, and its lethal strikes had continued in Gaza, raising questions whether Netanyahu was on board with the plan.
Following the Mladenov-Netanyahu meeting, the Board of Peace said that Israel would only be obliged to fully withdraw from Gaza after the completion of Hamas' disarmament. It further said that Hamas would be required to give up all weapons ranging from heavy weapons to tunnel equipment to light weapons. It added that the process would be monitored by the International Stabilisation Force and an oversight committee.
In the July 30 announcement, Trump had hailed the in-principle deal with Hamas as “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”. He further said that “at the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks”.
Critics are skeptical about both Hamas and Israel abiding by the deal as both the sides have so far pursued maximalist goals in negotiations and returned to the war. With elections around the corner in Israel, and Netanyahu requiring the support of his far-right allies to cling to power, it remains to be seen whether he abides by the commitment to the deal in the making.
As per the report, the Israeli government has ordered the military to stop strikes in Gaza as Trump's Board of Peace is holding talks with Hamas for disarmament.
Under the new rules of engagement, the Israeli military may only strike at any immediate threat, and all targeted strikes must be stopped unless specifically approved either by the Chief of Staff Lieutenant Eyal Zamir or the Prime Minister's Office.
The development comes after Board of Peace Director General Nikolay Mladenov held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him that Israel must stop strikes in Gaza for two weeks to allow negotiations with Hamas to be completed.
The Mladenov-Netanyahu meeting took place days after Trump on July 30 announced that the Board of Peace had reached an agreement with Hamas to for disarmament, with the Board of Peace separately saying that Hamas had agreed to a “detailed road map” on disarmament in exchange of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
But there had been no confirmation from Israel, and its lethal strikes had continued in Gaza, raising questions whether Netanyahu was on board with the plan.
Following the Mladenov-Netanyahu meeting, the Board of Peace said that Israel would only be obliged to fully withdraw from Gaza after the completion of Hamas' disarmament. It further said that Hamas would be required to give up all weapons ranging from heavy weapons to tunnel equipment to light weapons. It added that the process would be monitored by the International Stabilisation Force and an oversight committee.
In the July 30 announcement, Trump had hailed the in-principle deal with Hamas as “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”. He further said that “at the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks”.
Critics are skeptical about both Hamas and Israel abiding by the deal as both the sides have so far pursued maximalist goals in negotiations and returned to the war. With elections around the corner in Israel, and Netanyahu requiring the support of his far-right allies to cling to power, it remains to be seen whether he abides by the commitment to the deal in the making.
