Israel’s foreign minister warned that Hamas is not committed to the US-backed peace deal, which calls for the terror group to cede its weapons, warning that the Jewish state would enforce the condition no matter what.
Speaking with The Post on Monday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar slammed Hamas’ latest insistence that it would neither give up its arms nor cede power to an international board unless its demands for Palestinian statehood were met.
“We will give a fair chance to see whether we can get Hamas to disarm and Gaza de-militarization in the context of the plan,” Sa’ar said about the ongoing negotiations. “If not, we will have to do it ourselves.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told The Post Monday that Hamas has not committed to the Gaza peace plan or disarmament. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post
Armed Hamas militants seen in Gaza City on Dec. 8, 2025. ZUMAPRESS.comSa’ar’s statement echoes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly warned that war in Gaza could be reignited if Hamas fails to comply with the terms of the cease-fire deal.
Hamas’ leadership has recently claimed that it would give up power to Palestinian technocrats, as laid out in President Trump’s peace deal — but the terror group has fully rejected the formation of a Board of Peace set to rule Gaza in the interim.
“So I believe that if you read the statement that was given publicly this weekend, it doesn’t demonstrate that [you are] really committed to the peace plan and what it requires from them in the next stage,” Sa’ar explained.
The foreign minister also expressed distrust in Hamas’s willingness to cede power as it has effectively regained control of the 43% of the Gaza Strip not occupied by the Israeli military.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously warned that the war can resume if Hamas doesn’t comply with the terms of the cease-fire deal. ABIR SULTAN/EPA/Shutterstock
Armed Hamas terrorists seen during a hostage release in Khan Yunis on Feb. 20, 2025. Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ImagesThe terror group has launched a brutal crackdown on crime, including public executions, and profiting off imports of goods into The Strip.
Hamas’ re-emergence as the de facto rulers of Gaza with access to weapons and its tunnel systems has raised concerns about whether the group can be disarmed without another bloody conflict engulfing the already war-torn Palestinian enclave.
Sa’ar said more on the future of Gaza should be made clear once the US and fellow mediators announce the full structure of the Board of Peace in the coming weeks — with Trump previously naming himself as a member along with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The announcement would include details of the proposed International Stabilization Force set to take over policing duty in the Strip, which would also see Hamas demilitarized.
