Hamas sees demilitarization talks as strategy to 'trap Israel,' Zini warns security cabinet

Speaking during a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Zini said Hamas believes it should have pursued the demilitarization agreement with the Board of Peace in order to "trap Israel."Follow us on GoogleIsrael Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director David Zini visits at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem during Memorial Day which commemorates the fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror, on April 21, 2026. (photo credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)ByAMICHAI STEINAUGUST 7, 2026 16:25Shin Bet Director David Zini warned Israel's security cabinet that Hamas views the demilitarization agreement signed with the Board of Peace as a means of constraining Israel's military freedom of action rather than advancing genuine disarmament, according to sources familiar with the discussion.Speaking during a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Zini said Hamas believes it should have pursued the demilitarization agreement with the Board of Peace in order to "trap Israel" and prevent it from carrying out military operations in the coming months.According to Zini, Hamas's strategy is to stall the process while waiting to see what will happen in the next few months and also wait for political developments in Israel."They are dragging their feet," he told ministers, according to the sources. "They are waiting for the elections, and then they will see what happens."The assessment was presented as ministers debated the proposed roadmap for Gaza's demilitarization and post-war arrangements.Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house that was pre-warned by the Israeli military to evacuate before the strike was carried out late on Wednesday, in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, July 16, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa)Cabinet ministers warn Netanyahu against 14-day preparatory periodAccording to two Israeli officials in the meeting, the was a consensus among cabinet ministers, who told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel must avoid taking any steps that could be interpreted as entering the proposed 14-day "preparatory period for demilitarization" – a phase that would require Israel to halt targeted killings of Hamas terrorists.The discussion also clarified Israel's current position regarding the Board of Peace initiative.According to the officials, Israel has neither signed nor formally approved the demilitarization roadmap with Hamas published by the Board of Peace.In addition, a separate document concerning the deployment of a multinational force into Gaza was also left unsigned after Israeli officials raised numerous objections. Some of those reservations were outlined publicly this week in a joint letter by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strock.As a result, Israel has not officially authorized the entry of the proposed multinational force into Gaza despite cabinet discussions on the issue, the sources said.Framework falls far short of genuine disarmament, Strock saidCabinet Minister Strock sharply criticized the proposed demilitarization framework in a conversation with the The Jerusalem Post, arguing that it falls far short of genuine disarmament."As long as the Board of Peace believes it is advancing toward the desired goal, it does not understand how much this agreement empties the concept of demilitarization of its real meaning," she said, according to participants."The very fact that weapons remain in Gaza is not demilitarization. The Board of Peace defined the mission as ensuring there would be no weapons in Gaza. After October 7, it is clear that this must mean exactly that – no weapons. This is not about checking a box."Strock also warned against transferring Hamas's weapons or security responsibilities to a future Palestinian police force."The goal is to ensure Hamas's weapons are not simply transferred to a new Palestinian police force operating under Palestinian law," she said. "When the Palestinian police was established in the West Bank, it operated under legislation that incentivizes the murder of Jews. Is this the legal framework under which the new police force is supposed to operate?"She also referenced comments previously made by US President Donald Trump after meeting released Israeli hostages."Trump asked the hostages, 'Nobody helped you?' He was shocked that nobody did," she said, arguing that the events of October 7 underscore the need for complete disarmament and removing all weapons from Gaza rather than partial security arrangements.Follow us on Google