Donald Trump's Gaza deal

Despite the crisis, the conditions for a diplomatic breakthrough may be emerging beneath the surface – if Washington is willing to rethink the sequencing and political assumptions behind its strategy

MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: Convicted of funneling World Vision money to Hamas, later questioned by Hamas over missing funds, Mohammed el-Halabi now insists he was the victim of ‘Israeli propaganda’.

“At this stage, the principal obstacle to full implementation remains Hamas’ refusal to accept verified decommissioning," Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza, told the UNSC.

Among the 15 points, Mladenov states that Hamas must be gradually disarmed and removed from civilian structure in Gaza, and that both parties must fulfill their commitments under the ceasefire.

Hamas has not yet agreed to disarm under the Trump administration’s 20-point Gaza peace plan as negotiations continue over guarantees, Israeli withdrawal, and the role of the ISF.

An Israeli source told the Post that Israel is coordinating with the Board of Peace and the US administration to plan the next steps following Hamas’s refusal.

The terrorist organization has said that it would only give up weapons after the full implementation of phase one of the agreement, which requires Israel to withdraw from Gaza.

Two Hamas officials told The New York Times that the terror group's latest proposal involves turning over thousands of small weapons used by their police and other security agencies.

The announcement was aspirational in that Hamas has not yet done so, and no one can really know whether the Gazan terror group will follow through.

A source from the security establishment warned that Hamas is taking advantage of Israel's focus on the Hezbollah situation and the US focus on the Iranian front to buy time.