US Senator Graham urges deadline for Hamas disarmament as stagnation in Gaza continues

Despite ongoing efforts, mainly by the U.S., to advance the ceasefire in Gaza into its next phase, nothing much is happening on the ground while Hamas continues to slowly rebuild its capabilities.

Speaking to the Times of Israel during a two-day visit to Israel, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) demanded that Hamas be issued a deadline to lay down its weapons.

“Put them on the clock,” said the senator, “If they don’t disarm in a credible way, then unleash Israel on ’em.”

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that the Trump administration is moving ahead with its plans to establish a stabilization force and a Gaza governance board, despite a lack of commitment from regional partners and Hamas’ continued rejection of the plan.

Graham said that the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) had no chance of success unless “Hamas been disarmed,” noting that “There’s no international stabilizing force that’s going to come in here and fight.”

“My advice to the President [Trump] is until Hamas is dealt out of the game militarily and politically, the chance of success is pretty remote,” he said.

“These people are religious zealots. They’re religious Nazis. I have no confidence, short of their demise, that they’re ever going to do anything other than what they promised to do. Did they stop wanting to destroy Israel? Did they change their stated goals? No.”

Meanwhile, Ynet News reported that Hamas continues to rebuild, partially through stealing of humanitarian aid, while its operatives are constantly trying to provoke firefights along the ceasefire line.

“You only hear on the news about the few who cross the Yellow Line, and even there, there are quite a few restrictions, despite attempts to create an image of free fire toward suspects,” an IDF officer currently deployed in Gaza told Ynet.

“Forces on the ground, such as infantry and armored units, are authorized to fire only if there is an immediate danger and an ongoing infiltration after warning shots have been fired, and if lethal fire is used against crossers, it is mainly carried out by the Air Force to ensure accuracy.”

Military officials also warned that exaggerated reports of IDF fire towards people crossing the Yellow Line are eroding “the remnants of legitimacy we have” before the potential Phase 2 of the ceasefire even starts.

They further warned that Israel still expects Hamas to retaliate for the killing of senior official Raad Sa’ad: “They’ll just patiently wait for a local operational weakness on our side to snipe or booby-trap an area near an IDF force. Hamas also knows that we are prepared to respond forcefully to any response by them, so for now they are restraining themselves.”

Hamas continues to reject disarmament and has also significantly slowed its efforts to locate the body of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage in the enclave.

However, the terror group is using the time to regain control over the 47% of the Gaza Strip that isn’t occupied by Israel, adding new checkpoints and resuming police patrols, while the increased delivery of humanitarian aid is reenergizing the local economy, which also refills Hamas’ coffers.

According to Ynet, some 4,200 trucks per week and between 600 and 800 per day are entering Gaza, and are being taxed by Hamas.

“This is a good period for Hamas, which isn’t in a hurry,” security officials told the outlet.

“It is investing in the population and operating municipal department heads for garbage removal, debris clearance, and services – albeit minimal – for civilians. The population, for its part, is preoccupied with itself and its winter hardships. It is hard for Hamas to rebuild militarily, and it will never return to the power it had on October 7, but even now it is trying to smuggle weapons and does not give up its identity as a terror organization. All civil governing bodies – government ministries, officials, teachers, doctors, municipal workers – are all Hamas in Gaza, and there is no other known reality.”

Security officials added: “Hamas could compromise on a ‘technocratic’ governing committee that would gradually take from it civilian control over Gaza and operate in practice beneath that same international Board of Peace, but it is already clear that its members would be figures from Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, or those identified with both – so it doesn’t really matter how the idea is marketed. No one would be shocked if the governing committees and the Board of Peace turn out to be a show to satisfy Trump, while in practice, Hamas elements continue to control the Strip.”