Israel warns of potential Gaza conflict over disarmament demands

Gaza Strip Factions Reject US-Backed Plan Linking Humanitarian Aid to Weapons Surrender

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian factions have rejected a US-backed plan that links humanitarian aid to the surrender of weapons. The proposal, which was presented by Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for the United States-backed Board of Peace, requires Hamas and other armed groups to disarm within 281 days in exchange for aid and reconstruction.

The plan, which is based on a 20-point vision proposed by US President Donald Trump, conditions humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and the opening of crossings into Gaza on the phased handover of weapons. However, Palestinian factions have refused to accept this condition, insisting that disarmament must be tied to comprehensive political rights.

According to local medical sources, at least 828 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since a “ceasefire” was established in October. Despite this, Israeli officials are threatening to tear up the fragile agreement and resume hostilities if Hamas does not surrender its weapons.

The Israeli military has ramped up pressure on the Palestinian factions, citing the refusal of Hamas to disarm as a major obstacle to peace. The military has also expanded its territorial control in the Gaza Strip, pushing the “ceasefire”-established “Yellow Line” westwards and regularizing its occupation through daily violations of the ceasefire.

In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a scheduled security cabinet meeting on Sunday, opting instead for smaller consultations. The US-backed Board of Peace is applying intense pressure on Palestinian factions to accept Mladenov’s plan, which aims to establish a new framework for peace in the region.

Analysts have noted that the strategy behind the plan is designed to turn the newly formed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza into a proxy security arm for the occupation. The US and Israel are accused of trying to decouple the issue of weapons from any political horizon, turning humanitarian relief into a tool for blackmail.

The situation in Gaza remains volatile, with families continuing to pull bodies from the rubble and Israeli drones and controlled demolitions being a daily reminder of the ongoing conflict.

Source: Al Jazeera