The conflict in Gaza will not conclude unless Hamas releases all 48 hostages, both living and deceased, and fully disarms, in accordance with the agreement finalized overnight between Hamas and , Yechiel Leiter, Jerusalem’s ambassador to the U.S., asserted in an interview with Digital on Thursday.
The Israeli government is expected to endorse the peace accord, initially proposed by President Donald Trump late last month and subsequently accepted by Prime Minister .
However, concerns persist regarding and Hamas’s capacity to repatriate all the bodies of the deceased hostages within a 72-hour window, which commences Friday night local time, as stipulated by the agreement.
“They have an obligation to return everyone in 72 hours. We hope to maintain everything within that framework,” Leiter commented when asked about worries regarding Hamas’s immediate return of all deceased hostages. “There are certain complications we must address, and this issue is one of them.
“But we must see all the bodies back, and I don’t believe we can proceed until everyone is accounted for,” he added.
Leiter indicated that part of the challenge is Hamas’s failure to diligently track the locations of the deceased’s bodies, but warned that Israel would not withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip until every body is returned.
An international task force, including the U.S., and other nations, has been formed to aid Israel in recovering the bodies of the deceased. Yet, the White House did not respond to Digital’s inquiries about the U.S. role or whether American personnel would be on the ground assisting the search.
An agreement was reached overnight after mediators from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar engaged for days with Hamas and Israeli officials to iron out the specifics of the peace agreement, although it remains unclear if any modifications were made to original 20-point plan.
Weekend reports suggested to calls for its complete disarmament – although in exchange, it would also be granted amnesty and a pathway out of Gaza to an accepting third-party nation should they choose to depart – and Leiter was unable to clarify whether Hamas has formally agreed to the disarmament terms.
“We hope it progresses according to the president’s strategy,” Leiter stated. “We assume, based on our extensive experience with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and these terrorist organizations, that there will be complications along the way.
“Look, they are in decline. This is essentially a surrender on Hamas’s part. They are greatly displeased, and they will do whatever they can to try and demonstrate their continued relevance,” the ambassador cautioned.
Disarmament is not part of the initial phase, which involves the full return of all hostages, a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops to a designated line agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, and the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences for terrorist offenses, such as murder.
The second phase would involve a further withdrawal of Israeli forces in conjunction with Hamas’s complete disarmament and the demilitarization of the enclave. An international “peace body,” led by Trump, would also be established to commence the rebuilding process of the Gaza Strip.
“Our entire focus is currently on the first phase,” Leiter said, while acknowledging that Hamas has made statements suggesting it will not disarm, potentially leading to the collapse of the peace deal’s second phase.
“But that is a component of the plan – that is very clearly a part of the president’s plan. That was the objective set out by Prime Minister Netanyahu from the beginning: that Hamas is disarmed, that Gaza is de-radicalized, and demilitarized.
“We cannot revert to a situation where we have Jihadi militants positioned at our border, or else we will have achieved nothing,” the ambassador declared. “This is performance-based. They disarm, they are disarmed if necessary, and then Israel withdraws.”