In an op-ed published Monday, Israel Hayom journalist Ariel Kahana asserts that opposition to the US-backed 15-point Gaza roadmap reflects a cross-party Israeli consensus, not a political maneuver by Prime Minister Netanyahu. Kahana cites letters from four Gaza border council heads, opposition leader Naftali Bennett, and MK Yulia Malinovsky demanding that full Hamas disarmament be a precondition for any deal. He argues the roadmap would keep heavy weapons in Gaza under Palestinian control and allow Qatar and Turkey to oversee the process, effectively protecting Hamas rather than disarming it.
The op-ed by veteran journalist Ariel Kahana adds a new dimension to the intensifying debate over the Gaza roadmap, which The Zioneer has covered extensively. As previously reported, Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected the 15-point plan outright, insisting on full Hamas disarmament before any Israeli withdrawal. The Peace Council, which published the roadmap, proposed a phased disarmament process under which heavy weapons would remain stored in Gaza under Palestinian custody. Kahana's analysis, drawing on statements from elected officials across the political spectrum, frames the opposition as a national security imperative rather than partisan politics. The four council heads from the Gaza border communities — Itamar Ravivo (Sha'ar HaNegev), Tamir Idan (Sdot Negev), Uri Epstein (Hof Ashkelon), and Michal Uziyahu (Eshkol) — warned in a letter to Netanyahu that any change in the security or civilian status in Gaza must be conditioned on prior disarmament. Opposition leader Naftali Bennett pledged to 'kick Qatar out of managing Gaza' and refused any concession from the 'yellow line' until Hamas is fully disarmed. MK Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beiteinu) accused the government of withholding information from the public about the roadmap's implications. The piece also critiques the role of international mediators, arguing that the framework effectively allows Qatar and Turkey to adjudicate Hamas's compliance, a structure Kahana and his sources view as fundamentally flawed.
2 developments
- DevelopingPolitical source: Israel rejects current Gaza framework, cites insufficient Hamas disarmament provisions
- DevelopingPeace Council official: Gaza deal was coordinated with Israel, rejects new disarmament demand
- DevelopingMinister Barkat: 15-point plan leads to Palestinian state, not defeat of Hamas
- StrongGaza Envelope Forum says framework has 20 points, calls for canceling Articles 17 and 19
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