Tel Aviv [Israel], August 4 (ANI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed disagreements with US President Donald Trump regarding the recent Board of Peace agreement aimed at "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, alongside a phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces as the process advances.
According to Al Jazeera, Netanyahu stated that Hamas disarmament should take place prior to moving to the reconstruction phase of the agreement shared by President Trump.
"There are disagreements with President Trump that I don't hide regarding the recent agreement with Hamas. Hamas must be disarmed, and the Gaza Strip demilitarised before moving to the reconstruction phase," Al Jazeera reported Netanyahu as saying.
Netanyahu made the remarks following a meeting with the Board of Peace's lead envoy Nickolay Mladenov.
Meanwhile, in a major clarification regarding the implementation of the Gaza transition framework, the Board of Peace has also confirmed that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will not withdraw beyond the "Yellow Line" until the complete decommissioning of all weapons in the Gaza Strip is achieved.
The "Yellow Line" refers to a military zone extending approximately 10 km north of the border inside southern Lebanon. Israeli officials have indicated they intend to maintain control over this zone while reserving the right to conduct strikes there, citing efforts to eliminate Hezbollah's presence, according to Al Jazeera.
The announcement came following high-level, constructive talks between High Representative Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace delegation, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with his senior team.
Setting the terms directly, the Board pushed back against recent speculation and conflicting reports over the timeline of an Israeli pullback.
Dismissing what it described as inaccurate reports regarding an early or partial pullout, the Board of Peace stressed that Hamas committed to mediators that full disarmament must precede any major force redeployment:
"Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators. This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons, and the tunnels alike," the Board of Peace said in a statement.
The high-stakes meeting between High Representative Mladenov and Prime Minister Netanyahu focused on executing the broader transition away from armed control in Gaza toward a stable civilian authority.
"As part of the process of decommissioning weapons in Gaza and enabling the transition to civilian governance, and creating a safer future in the region for both Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, a meeting was held earlier today (Monday) between High Representative Nickolay Mladenov, together with the Board of Peace team, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team.
The Board described the meeting as constructive and detailed. Israel and the Board of Peace share a common understanding of the ultimate objectives.
"The goal is clear and is not in question the complete decommissioning of weapons in the Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian governance. Reaching it will be a process. And that process will be set out in the next phase of the work," it added.
To guarantee compliance during the transition, implementation will be monitored by the International Stabilisation Force alongside the Implementation Verification Committee, which includes joint representation from both the United States and the Board of Peace.
The Board further emphasised that "continued progress towards implementation in full depends on each side fulfilling its obligations under the agreed framework."
Earlier, Times of Israel reported that a senior Israeli spokesman has said that the Gaza roadmap proposed by Trump "does not reflect Israel's positions," and "stands in direct contrast to the current reality" in the Strip.
Times of Israel further reported that following the criticism from the Board of Peace for Israel's continued strikes on Gaza, Prime Minister's Office spokesman Doron Spielman said that "Israel has conveyed its comments and concerns on the proposed framework to our American counterparts."
"The version that has been made public does not reflect Israel's positions," he said, contradicting earlier statements from Board of Peace officials that Israel was briefed "extensively" as the deal came together, Times of Israel reported.
"Demilitarization means Hamas physically surrendering its weapons. Anything short of full demilitarization will leave Hamas with the capability to threaten Israel again," Spielman added.
However, the Times of Israel reported that President Isaac Herzog presented a positive assessment of the agreement, saying he sees "a lot of positive elements in the efforts of the Board of Peace, under the auspices of President Trump and his leadership."
"I think his 20-Point Plan, which was adopted by the UN Security Council, and now, moving forward with the guidelines and the agreements that are going to be reached, is a very positive step with the clear caveat... that Hamas must be disarmed, and I hope Hamas will be disarmed fully," Times of Israel reported Herzog as saying.
Officials said the roadmap builds on a previously agreed 20-point Gaza peace plan, converting it into a phased implementation framework after eight months of negotiations that followed the release of hostages and the return of bodies. (ANI)