Israel lessens strikes after US-backed disarmament plan, rejects initial withdrawal; IDF reports 16 Gaza ceasefire violations July 31-August 18

After Israel rejected the Board of Peace’s (BoP) disarmament plan, US Special Envoy for Peace Missions Jared Kushner and BoP officials met with Hamas and Israel to bridge the gaps. After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Washington shifted its position to prioritize Hamas’s disarmament before Israeli withdrawal and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups violated the ceasefire 16 times between August 1 and 18, according to Israeli reports.

Since the Board of Peace announced its July 31 Hamas disarmament agreement, the implementation of the plan has stalled over sequencing. The roadmap envisioned phased Hamas demilitarization alongside phased Israeli withdrawal. However, on August 4, Netanyahu publicly rejected that formula, saying Israel would not leave its current lines until Hamas was completely disarmed.

Washington responded by shifting from an all-at-once roadmap to a step-by-step implementation strategy of Hamas compliance. On August 16, Jared Kushner and other US and Board of Peace officials met Hamas political leader Khalil al Hayya in Egypt. The group privately reaffirmed its willingness to demilitarize and transfer governing authority, though its public statement did not explicitly repeat the disarmament pledge. Kushner then met Netanyahu for nearly four hours on August 17. The emerging formula is that Hamas must first take a visible, verifiable step—such as surrendering weapons—before Israel makes concessions.

The plan’s disarmament mechanism was also partially fleshed out. Hamas weapons would be transferred through the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) for decommissioning and ultimately destruction, with American-backed verification led by officers such as US Major General Jasper Jeffers. Israeli officials also discussed possible US military supervision. Netanyahu and Kushner further agreed that major reconstruction would not begin before demilitarization. They established a working group on Hamas’s disarmament and another on sanitation and water.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes briefly fell under US pressure, then resumed as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hamas operatives were rebuilding military capabilities, moving weapons, planning attacks, and crossing ceasefire lines. Washington and Israel also agreed to create a deconfliction mechanism involving Egyptian mediators, but Israel retains the right to strike imminent threats. An unresolved question is what qualifies as an imminent threat that justifies Israeli strikes amid the peace process.

The IDF reported 16 Israeli strikes and ceasefire violations by Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups between July 31 and August 18:

• On July 31, the IDF and Shin Bet intelligence service said that they killed Abd al Rahim Abd al Hay Yosef Khardi, a “deputy cell commander” in Hamas’s military wing who also worked as a doctor at Shifa Hospital. Israel said that Khardi infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre and was involved in holding Romi Gonen hostage and holding the body of Noa Marciano after her murder. He had recently attempted “to advance terror attacks against IDF forces and civilians,” according to the Israeli military.
• On August 1, the IDF and Shin Bet said that they destroyed five Hamas weapons-storage facilities across Gaza containing “Kalashnikov-type firearms, explosive charges, ATGM launchers, ammunition, and additional military equipment.” One facility near Shuhada al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah also served as a shelter for Hamas members, according to the Israeli military.
• On August 2, the IDF said that it killed Salem Jamal Abdel Rahman Abu Labed, “head of a Nukhba unit” in Hamas who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 massacre, and Muhammad Abdel Nasser Muhammad Khatib, a commander in Hamas’s Maazi Battalion. Both had recently attempted to advance attacks against Israeli forces, according to the IDF.
• Later the same day, the IDF said that it killed Alaa Emad Khamis Taramsi, a member of the Army of Islam, Hassan Ibrahim Shhada Kahman, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) member, and Ahmed Hadari, a member of Hamas’s Jabalia Battalion. The three had attempted “to advance terror plots against IDF forces and Israeli civilians,” according to the Israeli military.
• On August 3, the IDF said that it killed Mahmoud Fatair, “a Nukhba commander” in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (PFLP) Central Camps Brigade. Fatair infiltrated Israel on October 7, participated in holding Rom Braslavsky hostage, and later appeared at ceremonies where the PFLP transferred several hostages to Israel. He had recently attempted to advance attacks against Israeli forces and civilians, according to the IDF.
• Later the same day, the IDF and Shin Bet said that they killed Abdullah Adnan Taha Abu al Taif, “a Nukhba commander” in Hamas who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre, and Jalal Sabih, a commander in Hamas’s Deir Tufah Battalion. Both had recently attempted to advance attacks against Israeli forces and civilians, according to the Israeli military.
• On August 11, the IDF said that it shot a Hamas sniper who approached Israeli forces near the Yellow Line in northern Gaza and “posed an immediate threat.” The military said a hit was confirmed.
• On August 12, the IDF said that it struck the head of a Hamas cell in northern Gaza who was planning attacks against Israeli forces. The military said it carried out the airstrike “to remove the threat” to troops operating in Gaza.
• On August 13, the IDF said that Paratroopers Brigade troops shot an armed individual who crossed the Yellow Line in southern Gaza and approached Israeli forces in a manner that “posed an immediate threat.”
• Later the same day, the IDF said that it struck a Hamas company commander in Khan Younis who was planning attacks against Israeli forces operating in Gaza.
• Also on August 13, the IDF and Shin Bet said that they killed Jamal Mahmoud Abu Kamila, a Hamas commander who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre. Abu Kamila had continued to advance attacks against Israeli forces and civilians throughout the war, according to the Israeli military.
• On August 14, the IDF said that it killed Khadifa Khaled Suleiman Kaware, “a company commander” in Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade. Kaware trained Hamas members, transferred weapons across southern Gaza, and participated in efforts “to rehabilitate” the group’s military capabilities, according to the IDF.
• On August 16, the IDF said that it struck a PFLP member in Khan Younis and a Hamas member in Nuseirat. Both were “advancing terror operatives” when they were targeted, according to the Israeli military.
• On August 18, the IDF said that it killed Tarek Anwar Khamis Raai, “a platoon commander in the supply array” of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Raai raided Kibbutz Be’eri during the October 7 massacre and participated in the abduction of an Israeli civilian, according to the Israeli military.
• Later the same day, the IDF said that it struck several Hamas commanders in the Shati area of northern Gaza who were planning attacks against Israeli forces.
• Also on August 18, the IDF said that a strike targeted a meeting of Hamas Nukhba commanders, including “a platoon commander, three squad commanders, and several additional terrorists.” The group had been advancing attacks against Israeli forces, and one of those targeted had infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre, according to the Israeli military.

Samuel Ben-Ur is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.