Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief David Zini warned during a Security Cabinet meeting on Thursday night that Hamas views the proposed demilitarization framework and the initiatives spearheaded by the Board of Peace as an opportunity to curb Israel and halt its ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Zini stated, "Hamas believes it should agree to this demilitarization plan with the Board of Peace to 'trap and tie Israel's hands,' preventing it from taking action in the coming months." He added that the terrorist organization is deliberately playing for time. "They are waiting a few months, until after the elections, to see how things unfold," he told ministers.
Following his briefing, Cabinet ministers stood united in telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel must not take any steps that could be interpreted as initiating the 14-day "demilitarization prep period" - including halting targeted eliminations of terrorists.
During the meeting, it was further clarified that Israel has neither signed nor consented to the roadmap released by the Board of Peace regarding Hamas, and that Israel does not consider it a binding document.
It also emerged during the session that a second document - intended to regulate the deployment of a multinational force to the Gaza Strip - has likewise not been signed by Israel. This follows a series of objections and reservations raised by cabinet members, including concerns outlined in an open letter by Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock, as well as feedback from other ministers.
The meeting also saw a clash between the Prime Minister and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Ben Gvir asserted, "Not a single day should pass without targeted strikes in Gaza. This isn't tactical - it's strategic." Netanyahu countered, "Over the next ninety days, nothing will be merely tactical." Ben Gvir fired back: "For four years I've been demanding targeted strikes. Some people only remember to advocate for them right before elections; I've been demanding them every single week for four years."
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)