IDF intelligence officers told lawmakers during a classified briefing Monday that two central factors are behind Hamas’s growing willingness to move toward the second phase of the agreement, according to an i24NEWS report.

The first factor is Israel’s movement of the “Yellow Line,” which significantly unsettled Hamas’s leadership. The second is Hamas’s assessment that developments involving Iran are not progressing as it had expected, together with growing concern that the IDF’s operational focus will return to the Gaza Strip.

Despite those signs of flexibility, the intelligence officers told lawmakers that Israel’s security establishment does not believe Hamas intends to relinquish its hold on the territory. Their assessment is that Hamas will not genuinely surrender control of Gaza, but will instead continue ruling from behind the scenes.

A senior Israeli official stressed that “there will be no withdrawal of any kind by the IDF from the current Yellow Line without the genuine disarmament of Hamas.”

The proposal also drew sharp political reactions. Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot said leaving Hamas in power in Gaza would amount to “the Netanyahu-Smotrich doctrine of preferring Hamas rule that led to the October 7 disaster.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that “the draft agreement published by the ‘Board of Peace’ is unacceptable to Israel.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)