Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged differences with US President Donald Trump over the implementation of a proposed Gaza peace framework, saying Hamas must be fully disarmed and the Gaza Strip demilitarised before reconstruction can begin.
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"There are disagreements with President Trump that I don't hide regarding the recent agreement with Hamas. Hamas must be disarmed, and the Gaza Strip demilitarised before moving to the reconstruction phase," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to Al Jazeera.
The remarks came after Netanyahu met Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov, as the Board clarified that Israeli forces would not withdraw beyond the "Yellow Line" until all weapons, tunnels and military infrastructure in Gaza have been fully decommissioned.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the Board of Peace dismissed reports suggesting an early or partial Israeli military pullback, saying the IDF's withdrawal beyond the "Yellow Line" would take place only after the complete decommissioning of weapons in Gaza.
"Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators. This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons, and the tunnels alike," the Board of Peace said in a statement.
The "Yellow Line" refers to a military zone extending about 10 kilometres north of Israel's border inside southern Lebanon. Israeli officials have said they intend to retain control over the area while reserving the right to conduct military operations there, citing efforts to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its presence.
The Board of Peace is a US-backed multinational body established under President Donald Trump's Gaza peace initiative to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire framework, Hamas' disarmament, Gaza's reconstruction and the transition to civilian governance.
Led by former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov as High Representative for Gaza, the Board works alongside an International stabilisation force and an implementation verification committee to monitor compliance with the agreement.
While Israel has joined the Board of Peace and shares its stated objective of dismantling Hamas and transitioning Gaza to civilian governance, it has expressed reservations over aspects of the initiative and its implementation. According to the Times of Israel, Israeli officials say the publicly released Gaza roadmap "does not reflect Israel's positions", particularly on the sequencing of disarmament, reconstruction and military withdrawal.
Israel has also raised objections to the Board of Peace, particularly over its composition and mandate, including the participation of countries such as Turkey and Qatar.
