Hamas May Agree to Gradual Disarmament Under U.S.-Backed Gaza Plan

A technocratic Palestinian government would gradually assume control of different parts of the Gaza Strip to verify they had been cleared of weapons.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

White House officials told Channel 12 News that Hamas could agree within days to a U.S.-backed roadmap for Gaza that would gradually dismantle the terror group’s military capabilities, as Qatar, Egypt and Turkey press the group to accept the proposal while Iran urges it to reject the plan.

The proposal, backed by the United States and the Board of Peace, calls for Hamas to surrender all of its weapons over a six-to-eight-month period.

A technocratic Palestinian government would gradually assume control of different parts of the Gaza Strip to verify they had been cleared of weapons.

As part of the process, Hamas would provide maps identifying its tunnel network, weapons factories and arms depots. The weapons would then be held by the technocratic government together with the International Stabilization Force, a peacekeeping body.

Channel 12 reported that anti-Hamas militias would also be required to relinquish their weapons, while Gazan civilians would be permitted to sell privately held firearms. In exchange, Hamas members would receive pardons and be allowed to remain in Gaza under the proposed arrangement.

If Hamas accepts the deal, Israel would withdraw to the Yellow Line marking its designated zone of control in Gaza and halt targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders while retaining the right to defend itself against attacks.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff briefed officials on the negotiations, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the proposed disarmament framework.

“Israel knows the details, everything is coordinated,” a Board of Peace source told Channel 12.

“This is a good deal for Israel,” said an American source. “because it solves the Gaza problem. If Hamas cheats, everything will stop and Israel didn’t give anything up.”

Channel 12 also reported that construction of a pilot neighborhood for Gazans is scheduled to begin accepting residents in November, contingent on progress toward the disarmament agreement.

The neighborhood would be built in an area of the Gaza Strip currently controlled by the Israel Defense Forces, where land has already been cleared. The Board of Peace told the outlet that reconstruction would not begin until Hamas is disarmed and that concrete factories would be used only to seal tunnels.

The pilot zones would expand if disarmament continues. Civilians would enter the new neighborhood through checkpoints, and police forces with no connection to Hamas would secure the area to prevent the terror group from infiltrating the site. Tens of thousands of Gazans are expected to move into the zone during its first stage, Channel 12 reported.