Board of Peace ‘not stepping back’ from Gaza plan ahead of Israeli elections - report

The Board of Peace is continuing efforts to advance its Gaza roadmap while carefully timing its actions and public statements ahead of Israel’s elections later this month, a source within the body told i24News diplomatic correspondent Guy Azriel, according to a Monday post on X/Twitter.

“We are not stepping back,” the source said, explaining that the board does not publicize all of its work, just as it did not issue daily updates during negotiations with Hamas.

The remarks followed an earlier post by Azriel in which a senior Israeli security source described continued military efforts to weaken Hamas.

In that report, Azriel characterized the Gaza roadmap as receiving less immediate attention from Israel.

The Board of Peace source said efforts to advance the plan were continuing despite Israeli operations, including the recent attempt to kill Hamas’s Gaza leader, Ali al-Amoudi.

Board considers timing ahead of Israeli elections

“We are being strategic about when we do certain things, when we say certain things,” the board source told Azriel when discussing the elections.

The source said the aim was to ensure successful implementation when a Palestinian technocratic administration enters Gaza, demilitarization begins and a full transfer of authority takes place.

The post did not provide a timetable for those steps.

Israeli security source describes efforts to weaken Hamas

In his earlier post, Azriel quoted a senior Israeli security source as saying Hamas was feeling increasingly “pursued.”

The source described the group as having fewer weapons, relying on nonstandard equipment and lacking sufficient capabilities among some operatives to conduct offensive activity.

Israeli operations were continuing against Hamas infrastructure, weapons stores and weapons-production facilities to prevent the group from rebuilding its capabilities, the source told Azriel.

Separately, The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday that an Israeli source, citing figures presented to the security cabinet by Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder, said 4,000 of the 6,000 people who infiltrated Israel from Gaza on October 7 had been killed. 

The IDF confirmed that it targeted al-Amoudi on Saturday but said the strike’s results were under review. The Post’s Monday report noted that the military had not confirmed his death, with conflicting Israeli media reports about his status.