Israel’s Ambassador Yechiel Leiter asserts that peace in Gaza hinges on Hamas returning all hostages and disarming, following a newly finalized peace agreement.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, has issued a stark warning regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He stated that the war will persist unless Hamas returns all 48 hostages—both living and deceased—and fully disarms as stipulated in a recently finalized peace agreement.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Leiter emphasized that the Israeli government is poised to approve the peace deal initially proposed by former President Donald Trump late last month, which has since received the endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, concerns linger regarding Hamas’ commitment and capability to return the bodies of deceased hostages within a 72-hour timeframe, starting Friday night local time, as outlined in the agreement.
“They have an obligation to return everyone in 72 hours. Hopefully, we’re going to be able to keep everything within that framework,” Leiter remarked when asked about the potential challenges Hamas may face in delivering all the deceased hostages. He acknowledged that there are “some glitches” that need to be addressed, stressing the importance of recovering all bodies before any progress can be made in the peace process.
Leiter pointed out that one of the complications stems from Hamas’ inadequate record-keeping regarding the locations of the deceased hostages. He reiterated that Israel will not withdraw its military forces from the Gaza Strip until every body is returned.
To facilitate the recovery of the deceased, an international task force has been established, involving the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. However, the White House did not respond to inquiries about the specific role the U.S. will play or whether American personnel will be deployed on the ground to assist in the search.
The agreement was reached after extensive negotiations involving mediators from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, who worked diligently with both Hamas and Israeli officials to finalize the details. It remains unclear if any modifications were made to Trump’s original 20-point plan during these discussions.
Reports from the weekend indicated that Hamas expressed objections to the requirement of complete disarmament. In exchange for compliance, Hamas would be granted amnesty and a pathway to leave Gaza for a third-party nation, should they choose to do so. Leiter was unable to confirm whether Hamas has formally agreed to the disarmament terms.
“We hope it proceeds according to the president’s plan,” Leiter stated. He acknowledged the historical challenges posed by Hamas and similar organizations, noting, “We assume, having long experience with Hamas and Islamic Jihad and these terrorist organizations, that there are going to be glitches along the way.” He added, “Look, they’re going down. This is basically a surrender on Hamas’s part. They don’t like it one bit, and they’re going to do whatever they can to try to show that they’re still relevant.”
The first phase of the peace agreement focuses on the complete return of all hostages, a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops to a designated line agreed upon by both parties, and the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences for terrorist offenses such as murder. The second phase will involve further Israeli troop withdrawals in conjunction with the complete disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. An international “peace body,” led by Trump, is also expected to be established to initiate the rebuilding of Gaza.
“We’ve put all the focus now on the first phase,” Leiter said, while recognizing that Hamas has made statements indicating it may resist disarmament. He cautioned that the second phase of the peace deal could potentially collapse as a result. “But that’s part of the plan – that’s very clearly part of the president’s plan. That was the goal set out by Prime Minister Netanyahu from the outset, that Hamas is disarmed, that Gaza is de-radicalized and demilitarized.”
Leiter concluded by emphasizing the necessity of preventing a return to a situation where militant groups pose a threat at Israel’s borders. “We can’t go back into a situation where we have Jihadi militants sitting at our border, or else we haven’t accomplished anything,” he stated. “This is performance-based. They disarm, they are disarmed if necessary, and then Israel withdraws.”
Source: Original article