Sometimes diplomacy needs a little punctuation — preferably in the form of “…or else.” That appears to be where President Trump and Israel are with Hamas, which continues to treat cease-fire agreements like casual suggestions rather than binding commitments.
A report from the Washington Free Beacon says Hamas is actively rebuilding its weapons stockpile even as the second phase of President Trump’s peace plan requires the terror group to disarm. Photos released by the Israel Defense Forces and statements from Hamas leaders show the group restocking arms and carrying out low-level attacks on Israeli troops tasked with enforcing the cease-fire.
Hamas has increased attacks on IDF soldiers in recent days, while Israeli forces have discovered explosives hidden inside United Nations provisions near the cease-fire line. The IDF also found weapons concealed in humanitarian aid, including 110 mortar shells inside UNRWA bags, along with rockets and other arms hidden in blankets. These caches were located near areas where Israeli troops have been dismantling terror infrastructure, indicating Hamas was preparing for ambushes.
The most recent “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” according to the IDF, occurred Monday when four armed terrorists emerged from an underground tunnel in Gaza’s Rafah neighborhood and opened fire on Israeli soldiers. The IDF said all four militants were eliminated. A similar attack happened Sunday near the yellow cease-fire line. According to Israeli officials, there has been at least one such attack per day since Feb. 5, with additional incidents going back to the start of the cease-fire.
The IDF also reports that Hamas’s underground tunnel network remains operational, despite ongoing Israeli efforts to dismantle it.
President Trump has warned Hamas that it can abandon its weapons and terror tactics “the easy way or the hard way.” Current events suggest Hamas is not interested in the easy option.
Israeli officials say the pattern is clear: Hamas hides its weapons, rebuilds its arsenal, and waits for the next opportunity to strike. That strategy is consistent with the group’s refusal to disarm and its repeated violations of cease-fire terms.
As the situation in Gaza continues, the Trump administration’s position remains firm: lasting peace cannot exist while Hamas remains armed and operational. The message from Washington and Jerusalem is simple — disarm voluntarily or be forced to do so.
And in a region that has seen far too many broken agreements, one truth stands out: peace will only come when terror groups stop pretending to want it and are finally compelled to mean it.
