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Source: https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/byx00zmh0ze
Israel Weighing Renewed Military Action in Gaza as Hamas Refuses to Disarm
(Ynet News) Ron Ben-Yishai - According to Nikolay Mladenov, director general of President Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza, talks in Cairo with a Hamas delegation in April produced preliminary understandings that Hamas is willing in principle to discuss partial, phased disarmament involving heavy weapons, such as missiles, rockets, medium and heavy mortars, anti-tank missiles, heavy machine guns, drones and possibly large explosive devices. But Hamas refuses to give up pistols, rifles, light machine guns, RPG launchers, and grenades. According to officials, each stage of heavy-weapons disarmament would require a parallel Israeli step. Israel says Hamas's maximum offer on disarmament remains far from Israel's minimum demands. Other parts of Trump's plan are also stalled. The multinational stabilization force has not been established, and the funds needed to fund, equip and deploy it have not been secured. The Palestinian technocratic committee meant to manage Gaza is also not functioning. Senior IDF officials say Israel must act. The Oct. 2025 ceasefire left 43% of Gaza under Hamas control, and Hamas has used the situation to strengthen its rule. The officials argue that Israel should use the fact that there are no longer Israeli hostages in Gaza to act with full force to disarm Hamas and collapse its rule. Those officials note that because the fighting in Lebanon is limited, forces are now available to operate in Gaza.