Growing support in Gaza for Hamas disarmament

A growing number of Gazans reportedly back US-backed plan to disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip, paving the way for the area’s reconstruction.

By World Israel News Staff

A growing number of Palestinian Arabs in the Gaza Strip support the US-backed plan to disarm Hamas and other terror groups as a way to advance reconstruction and prevent renewed war with Israel, Israel Hayom reported Monday.

The shift comes as Hamas and mediators hold talks in Egypt over the future of the Gaza Strip and the proposed Gaza Peace Council framework.

According to the report, many Gazans who previously viewed disarmament as unacceptable now see it as a viable path to avoiding another round of fighting with Israel.

The proposal under discussion would require terror groups in Gaza to hand over their weapons in exchange for reconstruction and a new governing arrangement.

Israel Hayom said many Gazans also support replacing Hamas rule, though a technocratic committee linked to the Palestinian Authority has not yet entered the Strip.

Hamas, meanwhile, is trying to retain as much control as possible, despite public statements that it is prepared to transfer governing powers, according to the report.

A Gazan commentator quoted by Israel Hayom said that the war had ended in devastation rather than victory, venting frustration with Hamas over the years-long war with Israel sparked by the October 7, 2023, invasion.

“What happened was never ‘legendary steadfastness,’ as we like to comfort ourselves,” he said. “What happened was a crushing defeat by every measure.”

“Gaza is destroyed, the people were uprooted, and the bare minimum needed for life has disappeared,” he added. “When people are sleeping in the streets and looking for a piece of bread, the question is not how we will win, but how we can live.”

The commentator said the current offer was painful but added that Gazans have few alternatives.

“What is being offered today is handing over the weapons in exchange for reconstruction,” he said. “It is an unfair and humiliating proposal, but it is the only proposal on the table.”

“So what is the solution? Should we continue to insist? Should we raise the level of slogans?” he continued. “The hard truth is that there is no force on the ground today that can impose conditions. Hamas cannot impose a new equation, and the people cannot bear a second round.”

He said Gaza must reconsider whether keeping the weapons serves the public.

“Weapons that cannot protect the people — we must examine their role, and not sanctify them,” he said. “There comes a stage when you have to cut losses.”

Despite the reported shift in public opinion, Hamas has repeatedly signaled that it does not intend to give up its weapons.

Some within the group have proposed handing over limited quantities of automatic rifles and other arms, while Hamas’s public position links disarmament to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The terror group has also delayed giving mediators a formal response to the Gaza Peace Council plan, saying it is still consulting on the matter. Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement and is demanding the completion of the IDF withdrawal from Gaza.