Gaza Peace Council Chief to Netanyahu: “Stop the Strikes in Gaza”

Nikolay Mladenov, director-general of the Gaza Peace Council, appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded: “Stop the strikes in Gaza, as you committed to in the ceasefire agreement.” This was revealed today (Monday). In response, an Israeli official said that Jerusalem rejects the demand and clarified: “Israel will not withdraw from the current line in the Gaza Strip and will continue to thwart every threat to our civilians and soldiers.”

According to reports in the Arab media, Hamas asked the mediators to intervene and require Israel to abide by the ceasefire agreement. A Hamas official said that “the ongoing aggression is making it difficult to implement the agreement and conduct negotiations over the timelines.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson Doron Spielman clarified today that Israel had conveyed its comments and reservations to its American counterparts regarding the proposed framework for disarming Hamas. Jerusalem said that the published wording does not reflect Israeli positions.

According to Spielman, Israeli intelligence indicates that over the past eight months, Hamas exploited the ceasefire to rearm, recruit thousands of terrorists, rebuild its military infrastructure, and prepare for additional massacres in the style of October 7.

Spielman also sharply criticized the first clause of the framework, which defines Gaza as “a de-radicalized area, free of terrorism and posing no threat.” He said that this vision directly contradicts the reality on the ground and Hamas’s stated intentions, clarifying: “The first and essential step toward any arrangement is the genuine, verifiable, and irreversible demilitarization of Hamas — meaning the actual surrender of its weapons.” He concluded by warning that any other framework would leave the terrorist organization able to once again threaten Israel.

The Gaza Peace Council issued a clarifying statement this evening stating that, “Contrary to inaccurate reports, we wish to clarify that the IDF’s full withdrawal beyond the yellow line will take place only after the completion of disarmament, as Hamas committed to the mediators. This applies to small arms, heavy weapons, and the tunnels,.

“The implementation of the process will be under the supervision of the International Stabilisation Force and the Implementation Verification Committee, which include the United States and members of the Peace Council. Continued progress toward the full implementation of the agreements depends on each side fulfilling its commitments under the agreed framework.”