IDF struck Gaza for the second day in a row, US gives Netanyahu "space": "There are elections"

The IDF struck in the Gaza Strip this evening (Monday), for the second day in a row, following the strike carried out yesterday for the first time since the army ceased fire under the guidance of the political echelon and stopped targeted killings. Unlike yesterday's strike, which manifested in fire by forces at a Hamas sniper identified near the yellow line, this evening it was an Air Force strike to "remove a threat" in the northern Gaza Strip. According to a security source, no approval from the Chief of Staff was required for the strike, as the IDF force found itself under an "immediate threat." In Gaza, they reported that this was the first airstrike in over a week and updated on one fatality. Meanwhile, the CEO of the "Peace Council" for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, addressed the situation in the Strip this afternoon, against the backdrop of the roadmap for implementing the agreement with Hamas. After yesterday's strike, Mladenov announced that "in recent days, a mechanism for monitoring violations has begun to operate; every confirmed violation will be handled." He also rejected reports of a "financial agreement" between the Peace Council and the terrorist organization. "The claims regarding a financial agreement between the Peace Council and Hamas are false. Such a proposal was not discussed, was not negotiated, was not considered, and will not be on the agenda in the future either," declared Mladenov, whose official role is defined as the "High Representative for Gaza." He mentioned that the Peace Council was established within the framework of President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza and in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2803. "Both documents are public and clear: Hamas will have no role in the governance of Gaza and will have no access to funds," he said.

Mladenov emphasized that "Peace Council funds are not transferred through Hamas. Every contract undergoes checks and approvals, every job is verified before payment, and all accounts are open to full audit by donor governments." According to him, "the international stabilization force is intended to support disarmament and the establishment of a civil administration in which Hamas has no part. This was our position from the beginning, and it has not changed."

Meanwhile, official sources in the US explained to "Politico" that the administration was "disappointed" by Netanyahu's rejection of the 15-point plan — which is the roadmap — but were appeased after realizing that on the ground, Israel has stopped the strikes and is effectively acting in accordance with the plan, with forces instructed to demand the Chief of Staff's approval for every strike. An American source said that the administration is willing to give Netanyahu "some space" to frame the plan in the way he needs to. "We recognize the complexities arising from the elections in Israel, and we are of course going to give Bibi space to try and navigate this," said the American source. However, according to him, a quid pro quo is required from Netanyahu: "They need to give us some space in terms of stopping the targeted killings to allow us to try and reach the next stage, so there are still many challenges along the way." In the US, they understand that Netanyahu is in a complex situation given the upcoming elections, as on one hand he is under pressure from his extremist partners, and on the other hand under pressure from the administration — with discouraging polls in the background.

The US, through the Peace Council and the mediators Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, conducted negotiations with Hamas on the plan, which on paper is supposed to lead to the disarmament of the terrorist organization. Hamas must give up its weapons and hand over power in Gaza to a committee for managing the Strip, known as the "technocrat government," and Israel must withdraw the IDF. However, immediately upon the announcement, the first obstacle arose — Hamas said it would not disarm until Israel withdraws, and Israel claimed it would not withdraw until Hamas disarms. Despite the public confidence shown by President Trump when he announced an "historic agreement for the total disarmament of Hamas," administration officials expected the proposal to meet resistance from Israel, but believed that the talks could continue in practice. The American source repeated the claim that "no one has ever reached the point where they brought Hamas to agree to this, so this is a necessary step before its actual disarmament."

Another administration official said that the Peace Council, which includes 27 countries, "has recently been receiving good cooperation on the ground." According to him, "that is what is important."

A day after Netanyahu rejected the roadmap, senior officials in the Peace Council claimed that these were only statements. "We look at the actions in practice, less at talk and declarations. In practice — Israel has stopped the killings and is maintaining the ceasefire." According to them, "in fact, Israel is complying with the 15-point agreement. The IDF is effectively standing on the original yellow line — 53% of the Strip, and there are no outposts or forces beyond the yellow line. Israel is complying with the document, even though in talk it rejects it."

"For Netanyahu, the main goal is of course to get through the elections," said the US Ambassador to Israel during the Obama administration, Dan Shapiro. "So he will at least express rejection even while he may allow certain aspects to move forward." According to him, "it seems that Trump tolerates this dance of Netanyahu and is willing to tolerate the declared rejection."

In the Peace Council, they emphasize that "the separate discussions with Israel are continuing" and that the roadmap is an agreement between the Peace Council and Hamas. On the ground, at least publicly, Hamas's willingness to disarm is conditional on the IDF's withdrawal from Gaza, which leaves doubts regarding the implementation of the plan in the long term. In his remarks today, Mladenov emphasized that "Israel is not required to rely on trust or take irreversible steps before verified steps are taken on the ground. The goal remains the full dismantling of weapons and ensuring that Gaza will never again pose a threat of the type Israel experienced on October 7. The alternatives are that Hamas remains in power and rebuilds its military capabilities, or that Israel returns to rule the entire population of Gaza at a very heavy human, military, and economic cost. The Peace Council offers a third option: full demilitarization, civil administration, international security presence under American command, and monitoring and verification mechanisms. There are more than enough real challenges in this effort, and there is no need to invent more."