Netanyahu aide issues 60-day demand for Hamas disarmament

Israeli Government Issues Ultimatum to Hamas

A senior Israeli government official has issued a 60-day ultimatum to Hamas, demanding that the Gaza-based group disarm as part of a proposed peace plan. The ultimatum was made by Yossi Fuchs, Cabinet Secretary of Israel, during a conference in Jerusalem on Monday.

According to local media reports, Fuchs stated that the two-month period was requested by the United States administration and that Israel would respect this request. He also mentioned that if the deadline is met, the Israeli army will evaluate its effectiveness, but if not, it will take further action.

Hamas has rejected these remarks, with senior official Mahmoud Mardawi stating that he had no knowledge of such a demand. Mardawi claimed that statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials are merely threats with no basis in ongoing negotiations.

The ultimatum comes as part of the second phase of a ceasefire agreement, which began in mid-January. The US administration has stated that it will tackle disarmament of Hamas and deployment of an international peacekeeping force during this period.

Hamas has refused to give up arms as long as Israel continues to occupy Gaza. The group’s leader abroad, Khaled Meshaal, recently rejected calls to disarm Palestinian factions in Gaza, arguing that stripping weapons from an occupied people would make them vulnerable to elimination.

The Israeli government has been accused of violating the ceasefire agreement, with reports stating that Israel has breached it over 1,500 times since its implementation. The situation remains tense, with ongoing violence and restrictions on movement and access to basic necessities in Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera