כיכר השבת

“Hamas Not Defeated but Weakened Enough Under Agreed Terms”

A senior Israeli security official said that “Hamas has not been defeated, but it has been weakened sufficiently according to the conditions we set.” Under the agreement signed by Israel, the fighting that began on October 7 is considered over, even though the Israel Defense Forces did not penetrate the core of Gaza City. Security officials say the deal enables the return of hostages, both the living and the dead — a central objective of the campaign — while leaving Israel in a posture of vigilant oversight to ensure Hamas no longer poses a threat. The framework envisages prolonged involvement by the United States and mediators — Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — who, officials say, are expected to work for years to strip Hamas of governance and ultimately to disarm the organization.