Hamas disarmament is increasingly in question as new evidence shows the terror group rebuilding its arsenal and attacking Israeli forces despite a ceasefire tied to President Donald Trump’s peace plan. Disarmament remains a core requirement of the agreement’s second phase, but recent events on the ground suggest the group is moving in the opposite direction.
The Israel Defense Forces reported a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement” on Monday when “four armed terrorists exited an underground tunnel shaft and fired towards IDF soldiers” in Gaza’s Rafah neighborhood. Israeli forces killed all four. Similar attacks have occurred almost daily since Feb. 5, including a Sunday assault near the yellow ceasefire line.
Israeli troops have also uncovered weapons hidden inside humanitarian supplies. Last week, the IDF found “110 mortar shells hidden in [U.N. Relief and Works Agency] humanitarian aid bags,” along with rockets concealed in blankets. After another firefight, soldiers located “an explosive device, magazines, and an instructional manual for the preparation of explosives,” as well as “five inactive rocket launchers.”
The military says Hamas continues to exploit civilian infrastructure. Drone footage showed terrorists using ambulances to move “terrorists and weapons from a hospital to a school” in northern Gaza. “Since the ceasefire came into effect, Hamas has continuously violated the agreement and concentrated its efforts on restoring its military capabilities,” the IDF said.
Hamas leaders have made their intentions clear. Speaking in Qatar, Khaled Mashaal said, “Criminalizing the resistance, its weapons, and those who carried it out is something we should not accept.”
The Trump administration insists there is no alternative. “The demilitarization of Hamas remains a central challenge,” a State Department spokesman said. A senior official added, “Make no mistake, Hamas will disarm… We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
