Hamas pushes for Israeli withdrawal as Gaza roadmap moves to new stage

GAZA/CAIRO – Hamas has submitted a unified Palestinian response to a Gaza peace roadmap proposed by international mediator Nickolay Mladenov, insisting that any progress towards a broader settlement must include a complete Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and the full implementation of previously agreed ceasefire commitments.

The submission follows a week of intensive consultations in Cairo involving Hamas, other Palestinian factions and mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Palestinian groups said the discussions produced a common national position on the future of Gaza and the next phase of the ceasefire process.

At the centre of the talks is Mladenov's 15-point roadmap, unveiled in May to facilitate the implementation of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.

The roadmap addresses a broad range of issues that will shape Gaza's post-war future, including reconstruction, security arrangements, the rebuilding of civil institutions, the deployment of an international stabilisation force, Israeli military withdrawal and the contentious issue of disarming Palestinian factions.

Hamas said the factions had responded positively to the initiative but stressed that implementation must begin with the full execution of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, particularly humanitarian commitments covering aid deliveries, fuel supplies, shelter and the reopening of crossings.

The movement also insisted on strict adherence to provisions related to the entry of an administrative committee into Gaza, reconstruction efforts and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the territory.

The latest developments come amid continuing disputes over the implementation of Trump's Gaza plan, announced in September 2025 as a 20-point framework intended to end the war.

The first phase came into force on October 10, 2025 and included a ceasefire, prisoner exchanges and an initial Israeli military pullback. Hamas maintains it complied with the requirements of that phase, while accusing Israel of failing to honour its commitments and continuing military operations.

Despite those disagreements, Trump announced the launch of a second phase in January, envisaging a broader Israeli withdrawal, large-scale reconstruction efforts and the beginning of a process to address the issue of weapons held by Palestinian factions.

However, implementation has remained stalled amid disagreements over sequencing. Palestinian factions argue that Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction commitments must be fulfilled first, while Israel has continued to insist that disarmament should take precedence.

The current Cairo consultations are therefore viewed as a critical attempt to salvage the roadmap and revive momentum behind the ceasefire framework.

For Hamas, the issue of a complete Israeli withdrawal remains a central condition. The movement argues that reconstruction, governance reform and long-term stability cannot be achieved while Israeli forces remain inside the territory.

The roadmap envisages a broader political transition in Gaza, including the deployment of an international stabilisation force and the gradual restoration of civilian governance structures, alongside efforts to rebuild infrastructure devastated by two years of war.

The conflict, which began in October 2023, has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins. Palestinian figures say nearly 73,000 people have been killed and more than 173,000 wounded, most of them women and children, while around 90 percent of the territory's civilian infrastructure has suffered damage or destruction.

Against that backdrop, Palestinian factions are seeking guarantees that any future agreement will prioritise reconstruction, humanitarian relief and a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal, while mediators continue efforts in Cairo to bridge remaining gaps and prevent the ceasefire process from collapsing.