Hamas is resisting pressure from the Board of Peace to abide by the terms of the ceasefire with Israel, as it continues refusing to surrender its weapons.
By World Israel News Staff
The international Board of Peace, a body established by President Donald Trump to oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, has set a firm deadline for the end of this week for the terror group to disarm and relinquish control of the Gaza Strip.
The ultimatum comes as frustration grows over Hamas’s failure to comply with key terms of the ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025, namely its requirement to disarm and allow an alternative entity to govern the coastal enclave.
The board, led by Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, has signaled increasing frustration with Hamas’ foot-dragging on giving up its weapons.
“He who will not cross the river will drown in the sea,” Mladenov posted on his X account on Friday, in what appeared to be a direct message to Hamas leadership.
Since the establishment of the ceasefire, Hamas has steadily regrouped after two years of war with Israel. According to multiple reports, the group has recruited new members, reestablished itself as the de facto governing authority in Gaza by collecting taxes and providing government services to residnets, and resumed policing activities across the enclave.
At the same time, international reconstruction efforts in Gaza remain stalled. Aid and rebuilding initiatives have been explicitly conditioned on Hamas formally stepping down from power — something the group has repeatedly resisted.
Sources familiar with negotiations told The New York Times that if Hamas agrees to disarm, Israel would withdraw all remaining military forces from Gaza.
Additionally, significant humanitarian improvements would follow, including the delivery of temporary housing caravans and the lifting of restrictions on the entry of goods into the territory. Senior Hamas leaders would also be granted amnesty under the proposed arrangement.
On Sunday, spokesman Abu Obeida struck a defiant tone, rejecting the disarmament demand.
“Dealing with the weapons file in this rude manner is a scandalous effort by the occupation to continue killing and exterminating at the expense of our people,” he said in a public statement.
Officials cited by The Times of Israel say Hamas is unlikely to accept the proposal before the deadline. It remains unclear what concrete consequences the group will face if it refuses, beyond the continued delay of Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery.