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Shin Bet chief warns Hamas sees US-backed Gaza roadmap as 'political Oct. 7' - Ynetnews
Shin Bet chief David Zini warned the Security Cabinet that Hamas is using the proposed Gaza peace roadmap to buy time and claim a political victory comparable to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, according to Israeli officials familiar with Thursday night's discussions. Speaking during a meeting of the decision-making ministerial panel, Zini reportedly told ministers that Hamas views the signing of the roadmap proposed by the U.S.-backed Board of Peace as "a political Oct. 7" — meaning the terrorist group sees the initiative as a strategic victory over Israel. According to participants, Zini dismissed Hamas' reported willingness to disarm under the plan as deceptive. "This is all a process of deception against us," he said, according to officials present. "Hamas' entire goal is to buy time, believing that we will refrain from attacking them until after the elections." The remarks came as the Cabinet continued debating whether to accept the roadmap, which envisions a phased end to the war in Gaza tied to Hamas' verified disarmament, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, the deployment of an international stabilization force and the eventual transfer of governance to a reformed Palestinian administration. The plan also includes a pathway toward Palestinian statehood. The...