The United States and the 'Peace Council' were presented with intelligence that there are elements in Hamas who are planning to cheat and not fulfill the commitment to complete disarmament.
According to a report by Almog Booker on Channel 12, US President Donald Trump's envoy, Jared Kushner, met with senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and conveyed an unequivocal message to him: Any attempt to violate the understandings or hide weapons will lead to the cessation of the political process and granting Israel complete freedom of action.
According to the report, the meeting took place following intelligence information that Hamas plans to not fulfill its commitments to complete disarmament and continue the process of military buildup.
During the meeting, Kushner made it clear that the test of trust would be solely in actions. "If you try to cheat, the process will stop and no one will stand in Israel's way," he told Hamas officials in the presence of all the mediators.
Kushner emphasized that Israel does not trust Hamas, but if Israel fulfills its part of the understandings, Hamas will also be required to comply with all clauses of the agreement, primarily the complete demilitarization of the Strip, the cessation of the buildup, and the disarmament of the military wing.
Sources in the 'Peace Council' explained that the meeting was intended to prevent a return to the model that allowed Hamas to continue to rule while armed for years. According to them, Kushner believes that if Hamas does not fulfill its obligations, Israel will gain broad international legitimacy to act against the terrorist organization.
Sources in the Peace Council said: "Kushner is determined to avoid a return to the old paradigm of the last 20 years since Hamas took control of Gaza. He fears that the old approaches will lead to further international isolation of Israel, and worse - to the perpetuation of Hamas rule while it is armed and strengthened.".
According to the same sources, "If Israel acts wisely, we will know very soon whether Hamas will fulfill its commitment to the Peace Council. If so, it will be the removal of a very significant threat and a great achievement. If not, Israel will have the legitimacy and international backing to deal with the threat as it needs.".
On the other hand, if Israel is portrayed as trying to torpedo the plan, it will not have the political credit to change the situation and we may be stuck with the current status quo - Hamas rule.
According to the report, Hamas leaders pledged to the mediators to implement all twenty points of the plan, including the points of complete demobilization and disarmament of the organization.
