Israel puts Hamas on notice as key Trump peace condition remains unanswered

 The Israeli prime minister’s office accused Hamas of violating the Gaza ceasefire after an IDF soldier was wounded in an explosion and said the Palestinian militant group is breaking the peace agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump because of its “ongoing and continuing public refusal” to disarm, a key condition of the plan.

“Hamas must be held to the agreement that they signed on which includes removal from governance, demilitarization and de-radicalization,” the statement from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. “Israel will respond accordingly.”

Israel has also been accused by Hamas of repeatedly violating the ceasefire.

The first phase of the Trump plan is still not complete because there is one remaining Israeli hostage’s body still inside Gaza. Hamas says it is finding it difficult to locate the remains of Ran Gvili, hampered by logistical difficulties, including bad weather. But Israel says Hamas is deliberately delaying because it does not want to meet the conditions for phase two.

Under the second phase, Hamas is required to disarm and exit Gaza, playing no future role in the Palestinian enclave’s governance. Instead, a multinational peacekeeping force will enter and maintain security while a Palestinian-led technocratic transitional administration oversees Gaza’s reconstruction and redevelopment.

So far, Hamas has not committed to laying down its arms. Whether it intends to do so once the final hostage is handed over to Israel is an open question. Hamas met with Turkish officials in Ankara on Wednesday to discuss the second stage of the ceasefire. Though the agreement has mostly held, its progress has slowed.

The Hamas delegation said they had fulfilled the ceasefire’s conditions but that Israel’s continued attacks were blocking progress toward the next stage. They also asserted that 60 percent of the trucks allowed into Gaza were carrying commercial goods rather than aid.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military said an explosive detonated beneath a military vehicle on Wednesday as soldiers were “dismantling” militant infrastructure in the southern city of Rafah. The lightly injured soldier was taken to a hospital, the military said.

Previously, Israel launched strikes in Gaza in response to alleged ceasefire violations. On Oct. 19, Israel said two soldiers were killed by Hamas fire, and it responded with a series of strikes that killed over 40 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire by not allowing enough aid into the territory and continuing to strike civilians. Palestinian health officials say over 370 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce.

On Friday, Israeli troops fired over the ceasefire line in northern Gaza, killing at least five Palestinians, including a baby, according to a local hospital that received the casualties.