Washington, DC – In response to the announcement that Hamas has agreed to a disarmament roadmap, J Street Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg issued the following statement:
“J Street welcomes yesterday’s announcement that Hamas has agreed to a roadmap for disarmament. This agreement represents an important step towards disarming Hamas, establishing alternative Palestinian governance and security mechanisms in Gaza and bringing about Israel’s full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
However, many roadblocks remain, and full implementation is still a long way away. Israel must engage with the plan in good faith and agree to withdraw from Gaza as the agreement is implemented. Insisting instead on full disarmament up front is both unrealistic and simply a strategy to obfuscate and delay any progress. Hamas must also follow through on its commitment and fully and verifiably implement the disarmament sequence in good faith.
The Trump administration must apply the necessary pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu to cooperate, including real consequences if he does not. Turkey, Qatar and Egypt must similarly apply the necessary pressure on Hamas to follow through on the roadmap with consequences for noncompliance.
In the meantime, the United States, Israel and the international community must immediately address the urgent situation on the ground. Months of Israeli ceasefire violations and Trump administration mismanagement have caused immense suffering for Gazans. Israeli authorities must allow more humanitarian aid and early recovery goods to enter Gaza immediately. Israel and Hamas must allow members of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to enter the Strip. Israel must cease operations beyond the ‘yellow line’ and stop regular attacks that violate the ceasefire and continue to kill Palestinian civilians. Immediate relief for the people of Gaza cannot be contingent on a plan that will still likely take years to implement.”