Israel issues 60-day ultimatum for Hamas disarmament, threatens renewed war

Israel has issued a 60-day ultimatum demanding Hamas disarm completely, threatening to resume military operations should the Palestinian group fail to comply, Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs announced Monday during a Jerusalem conference. Fuchs asserted that Hamas "will have to give up all of its weapons, including rifles," claiming the timeline was requested by the US administration and that Israel is "respecting that."

Timeline and Implementation Mechanism

The ultimatum's precise commencement remains unspecified, though Fuchs indicated it might begin with the February 19 meeting of President Donald Trump's Board of Peace. "We will evaluate it. If it works, great. If not, then the IDF will have to complete the mission," Fuchs stated. Neither Hamas nor Washington has officially responded to the Israeli declaration. The demand comes amid a US-backed ceasefire agreement in effect since October 10, which halted Israel's two-year war that has killed over 72,000 Palestinians according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Ceasefire Context and Hamas Position

The second phase of the ceasefire agreement, initiated mid-January, includes provisions addressing disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions. Hamas has consistently rejected calls to surrender weapons, proposing instead they be "stored or frozen," emphasizing its identity as a resistance movement against Israel, which the UN designates as occupying power in Palestinian territories. Since the October 10 ceasefire took effect, Israeli forces have committed hundreds of violations through shelling and gunfire, resulting in 603 Palestinian deaths and 1,618 injuries, according to Gaza health authorities.