Hamas reaffirms commitment to Gaza peace plan as Israel withholds approval

Hamas reaffirms commitment to Gaza peace plan as Israel withholds approval

Hamas announced on Saturday that it remains prepared to advance with a US-backed Gaza peace plan, calling on mediators to pressure Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated his government had not agreed to the latest stage of the accord.

The group informed US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace that it was ready to proceed with the plan's second phase, which includes handing over weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing committee in the war-battered territory.

Hamas and other factions have confirmed to mediators their readiness to begin implementing the agreement and move to the second phase, provided it receives Israeli approval and that Israel begins implementing the agreement.

The official added that Hamas was urging the US administration to exert pressure on Israel to compel it to abide by the agreement and move forward with the second phase.

Background to the peace initiative

The current peace effort follows the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people, primarily Israeli citizens, and resulted in more than 240 people being taken hostage. The attack marked the deadliest day for Israel since its independence and triggered a devastating conflict that has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza and left over two-thirds of buildings in the Strip damaged or destroyed.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10, 2025, as part of the first phase of Trump's peace plan, following an agreement reached on October 8, 2025. The Board of Peace, an international body chaired by President Trump, was established to oversee Gaza's transitional Palestinian technocratic government, the disarmament of Hamas, deployment of an international security force, and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli resistance to the plan

Netanyahu, who faces elections scheduled for October 27, 2026, and widespread opposition from his right-wing base to the Gaza deal, stated on Tuesday that Israel had not agreed to the "draft" presented by the Board of Peace.

Trump had hailed last week as a breakthrough that Hamas had agreed to disarmament under the plan, with the Board of Peace saying Israel would in tandem carry out a phased withdrawal from much of Gaza.

However, Netanyahu met Monday with Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, who subsequently backtracked and said Israel would withdraw only after a full disarmament by Hamas. Mladenov, a former Bulgarian diplomat who served as UN Middle East peace envoy from 2015 to 2020, was appointed to oversee the transitional government, security apparatus, and reconstruction in the Strip. During his UN tenure, he was well-received by both Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Israel's military also vowed to keep hitting Hamas, which carried out the deadliest attack ever against Israel on October 7, 2023.

Ongoing violence despite ceasefire

Israeli operations in Gaza, while ongoing, appear to have decreased in intensity in recent days. On Saturday, the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis reported three people injured by Israeli army gunfire.

Israeli operations in Gaza have killed 1,257 Palestinians since October last year, when the two sides agreed to a ceasefire backed by Trump, according to the territory's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

The Israeli army has reported five deaths in its ranks during the same period.

The Board of Peace first met on February 18, 2026 in Washington with 27 countries that signed onto the board present, though several major countries including Canada, France, Germany, and Spain were notably absent or rejected invitations, highlighting the diplomatic challenges facing the peace initiative.