Is Israel really ready to withdraw from Gaza?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a new Gaza disarmament agreement has put Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under political pressure because it pairs Hamas disarmament with an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and a gradual handover to a Palestinian administration. The article says the deal, announced on Thursday, was welcomed by US President Donald Trump, but has drawn a chilly response from Israeli officials and commentators.

According to the report, an unnamed senior Israeli official said Israel would not leave its current positions in Gaza before what it considers the “genuine” disarmament of Hamas. Several Israeli politicians on the right and in the center, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, criticized any agreement that does not fully dismantle Hamas’s military and governing power. The piece places this debate in the context of the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, the subsequent war in Gaza, and strong public support among many Israelis for hard-line policies.

The article also highlights the domestic stakes for Netanyahu, whose coalition depends on far-right partners and who faces an election in the coming months. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said he will be trying to avoid alienating Trump while also keeping his coalition together. They suggested that, even if he publicly endorses the agreement, he may try to limit any actual withdrawal to symbolic military adjustments rather than a full pullout.

The broader significance, the report argues, is that any move toward ending Israel’s military presence in Gaza could reshape the political balance in Israel and test US influence over the next phase of the war.