Hamas offer’s half a loaf…..
Disarming its police force but NOT it’s military arm….
And continues its insistence that it’s NOT going anywhere even after ALL of the Israel effort ton get rid of it thru attacks in Gaza….
Israel looking to set up a ‘buffer’ zone in South Lebanon against Hezbollah, another militant group it has been unable to get rid of thru bombings….
NY Times…..
Hamas is ready to relinquish thousands of automatic rifles and other weapons belonging to its police force and other internal security services in Gaza, according to two officials of the group.
Such a step would be a remarkable concession from Hamas, which until now has publicly resisted giving up any of its arms.
The officials said Hamas would be willing to turn over these weapons to the Palestinian administrative committee that has been set up to govern Gaza by the Board of Peace, the international organization led by President Trump to oversee the cease-fire.
Hamas has said previously it is willing to turn over the burden of providing public services in Gaza to the U.S.-backed committee.But the group has not disbanded its battalions of armed fighters, suggesting it wants to maintain influence in the territory despite Israeli and American opposition….
The proposal from the two officials falls well short of the full disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza — a core demand by Israel and a pillar of Mr. Trump’s peace plan for the territory. That plan would also remove Hamas from power and bar it from any role in governing.
Asked whether the committee would also be able to confiscate weapons belonging to Hamas’s military wing, the two officials did not provide a clear answer.
Experts estimate that Hamas’s military wing has many more weapons than its police force, including tens of thousands of automatic rifles and heavier weapons like anti-tank rockets. And it has resisted demands for full demilitarization of Gaza.
The two Gaza-based officials from Hamas’s political leadership, who responded in writing to questions from The New York Times, both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. Their comments came as Hamas and Board of Peace officials were negotiating this past week in Cairo….
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Hamas leaders in Qatar, Turkey and Lebanon have generally spoken for the group. Even so, the Gaza-based leaders are powerful voices within the group in decision-making on a permanent cease-fire or Hamas’s future role in the territory.
The Board of Peace has demanded that Hamas give up all of its weapons in exchange for a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the reconstruction of vast areas destroyed in the war.
Armed struggle against Israel has long been central to Hamas’s ideology and a means to stay in power. Many members view any deal in which they would give up their weapons as tantamount to surrender….
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“Hamas may only be trying to avoid turning down Trump’s plan,” said Mkhaimar Abusada, a political science professor at Al Azhar University in Gaza who now lives in Cairo. “But if they accept giving up police weapons, it could open the door to further negotiations over the rest of its weapons.”
The Hamas-run government in Gaza controls the police and internal security services. The offer from Hamas did not specify which of those services would relinquish weapons in addition to the police, but it could refer to a domestic intelligence agency.
The Hamas officials said that representatives of the group had already met three times in Gaza City with other armed factions and government officials to lay the groundwork for transferring the territory’s governance to the new administrative committee.
Asked about the group’s role in future governance, the officials did not demand Hamas representation in the new Gaza administration. But they indicated that Hamas still intends to participate in Palestinian politics and to resist Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established….
Southern Lebanon…..
The Israeli military has published for the first time a map of its new deployment line inside Lebanon, bringing dozens of mostly abandoned Lebanese villages under its control, days after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.
There was no immediate comment from Lebanese officials or from Iran-backed Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to a US-backed ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Map Israeli Defence Force
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed the authenticity of a photo circulated on Sunday showing a soldier in southern Lebanon smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer. The IDF said it will take action against those involved.
Following an initial review of the photo, the military says that “it was determined that the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon”.
“The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops,” the military said. “Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings.”
The statement also added that the IDF is working to assist the community in restoring the statue…..
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ISW….
The IDF has continued to conduct ground operations in southern Lebanon in accordance with the temporary ceasefire agreement. The temporary ceasefire agreement contains a provision that permits Israel to act in self-defense against any “planned, imminent, or ongoing” Hezbollah threats against Israel.[55] The IDF 162nd Armored Division has continued to conduct operations in southern Lebanon to remove direct threats to northern Israeli towns.[56] The IDF reported that the division’s forces have killed over 250 Hezbollah fighters, destroyed over 405 Hezbollah sites, and seized over 1,000 weapons in southern Lebanon since the start of the conflict.[57] The 162nd Armored Division has been operating in southern Lebanon since at least March 26, including in Bint Jbeil, southeastern Lebanon, which IDF forces “completed [their] siege” of on April 15.[58] Israeli media reported on April 19 that Israeli forces have established a new position in Aita al Shaab, southwestern Lebanon.[59] Lebanese media reported that Israeli forces demolished buildings in several areas of southern Lebanon on April 18 and 19.[60] Unspecified sources speaking to Israeli media on April 19 reported that dozens of heavy machinery vehicles have moved to areas of southern Lebanon in recent weeks to support the IDF’s clearing operations.[61] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to reiterate that Israeli forces will continue to operate in southern Lebanon.[62]…
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Update….
Update from Right leaning NY Daily News…
NY Daily News….
The Hamas death cult has taken advantage of the October 2025 cease-fire with Israel to rebuild, rearm and consolidate its grip on the half of Gaza under its control.
With Israel and the United States focused on the war with Iran, Hamas has expanded its totalitarian control over the people of Gaza, brutally punishing and even executing political opponents it labels collaborators with Israel.
Alarmingly, the UN Population Fund reports a sharp rise in child marriages in Gaza, as Hamas militants force young girls to marry them.
Organized rape and sexual slavery are also reportedly endemic.
Hamas maintains control of aid distribution, tax collection, commerce, schools and hospitals, all of which give it total leverage over life and death in Gaza.
Some 50,000 Hamas-paid administrators manage the daily operations of Gaza, and the al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas’ military wing) has rebuilt its troop levels, which now number 27,000 members.
Per Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, the terror group is also smuggling arms from Egypt and manufacturing weapons in Gaza itself.
More…
Israeli effort to beat down Hamas seems to be a failure that HAS cost Gaza inhabitants dearly….