Tel Aviv, Feb 10 (.) Four months into its uneasy ceasefire with Hamas, the Israeli military is reportedly planning to launch a renewed offensive in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip to disarm the terror group by force, following their inconsistent stance on the issue, which is largely considered a refusal.
The US brokered ceasefire envisioned a voluntary surrender of arms by the terror group, following which the Israeli Defence Forces would gradually retreat from the enclave, as an international peacekeeping force would be deployed to oversee the security situation in the enclave.
But officials now acknowledge that the mechanism for enforcing Hamas’s disarmament was never clearly defined, leaving Israel sceptical that the goal can be achieved through diplomacy alone.
According to Israeli officials cited by Times Of Israel, there is growing concern that Hamas is using the ceasefire as an opportunity for entrenching its position and shadow political presence its rule in Gaza and rebuild its military capabilities if left unchecked.
The IDF had earlier said this month that since the ceasefire began, Hamas “has violated the agreement and focused its efforts on restoring its military capabilities.”
Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have publicly insisted that Hamas must disarm. Trump has repeatedly claimed the group “promised” to give up its weapons and has issued warnings over the issue.
Hamas, however, has never formally agreed to full disarmament, at times floating the idea of limited or conditional steps while at other moments declaring giving up its weapons a “red line,” making its own position heavily uncertain.
A senior Israeli security official said last month that the likelihood of military action to disarm Hamas was consistently increasing, as the group has showed virtually no indication of complying.
While the IDF official said that dismantling Hamas’s armed wing was achievable, it would likely require years of sustained operations, given that despite Hamas’ heavily weakened state, they still have thousands of fighters, with guerilla groups entrenched heavily in certain areas.
In recent weeks, the IDF’s Southern Command has drawn up contingency plans for a range of possible offensives should Israel’s political leadership order a forceful push to strip Hamas of its weapons.
Defence Minister Israel Katz has openly warned that Israel is “determined” to complete Hamas’ disarmament.
“After we have completed the objective of bringing back all of our hostages, we are determined to complete the disarmament of Hamas and the full demilitarisation of Gaza,” Katz said earlier this month.
“If Hamas does not disarm in accordance with the agreed framework, we will dismantle it and all of its capabilities.”
Military officials have cautioned that any renewed offensive against the terror outfit could be significantly broader and more intense exercise, compared to the previous operations during the two-year-war.
Until now, Israeli planning was heavily shaped by the presence of hostages inside Gaza, a factor that constrained troop movements and targets. With all hostages – both living and dead – now returned, those limitations would no longer apply.
As a result, the IDF could move into areas it largely avoided during the war, including Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and the Mawasi coastal zone in the south, where large numbers of displaced Palestinians sought refuge and where hostages were feared to be held.
Even so, Israel’s freedom of action may still be influenced by Washington. The Trump administration has made the Gaza ceasefire a cornerstone of its broader “Board of Peace” initiative, and a full-scale resumption of fighting could complicate US diplomatic efforts and strain international backing.
In October, Trump suggested Israel would be justified in resuming military operations if Hamas failed to honour the hostage deal.
With that phase now concluded, it remains unclear whether Washington would support or oppose a renewed Israeli campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas by force.
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