Weekly Commentary: Mr. Netanyahu - Hamas Disarmament Ball In Play NOW
Dr. Aaron Lerner 8 April 2026

The "Hamas disarmament ball" is in play with agents of the Board of Peace
pressing Hamas to accept, in the coming days, the disarmament framework in
President Trump's Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza.

The stakes could not be higher.

Because considering the countries involved in this process - including
Turkey - we could easily find ourselves in a few months facing the dilemma
that Hamas carried out some high-profile disarmament ceremonies which
President Trump posted on Truth Social while proclaiming "mission
accomplished".

Yes. 90 days into the implementation of the plan, Hamas is supposed to
surrender all its heavy weapons (not to mention carry out action against its
tunnel network and military infrastructure) but it is up to Israel to ensure
that this isn't a dangerous farce.

It is not enough to conduct quiet diplomacy with the White House or the
Board of Peace.

We continually learn that understandings which are not public can be both a
source of confusion and readily ignored.

Israel should prepare and publicly release its own detailed standards,
milestones, and timelines for what constitutes verified compliance.

The Trump plan explicitly states that verification of the disarmament will
be based on such agreed parameters.

Making these criteria transparent AND PUBLIC before the intensive phase
(roughly days 30 - 90 after implementation begins) would prevent any attempt
at a ceremonial, photo-op handover that satisfies headlines but not security
realities.

Such action could make a major and critical contribution towards protecting
Israeli interests and ensuring that "demilitarization" means what it says -
not another farce.

Israel's security cannot be subordinated to diplomatic convenience or the
hope that external pressure alone will deliver results. The time for quiet
talks has passed. The time for a clear, public Israeli stand has arrived.
________________________________________
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