Hamas Moves Closer to Weapons Deal as Gaza Ceasefire Talks Advance

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Hamas is moving closer to an agreement on the decommissioning of its weapons as part of a broader roadmap to advance the Gaza ceasefire, sources familiar with negotiations in Cairo told AFP on Thursday, although key disagreements with Israel remain unresolved.

A Hamas source said the Palestinian Islamist movement is still finalizing amendments to the proposal presented by mediators but described the negotiations as making progress.

The issue of Hamas's disarmament has been one of the most contentious elements of efforts to implement the second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which has been in place since October.

Under U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza, the next phase of the agreement envisions Hamas relinquishing its weapons while Israeli forces gradually withdraw from the enclave.

The proposal also calls for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a body composed of Palestinian technocrats, to assume responsibility for the day-to-day governance of Gaza during the postwar transition.

"We continue to advance the implementation roadmap that offers a balanced and pragmatic path forward, with all weapons decommissioned and a phased transition of responsibilities taking place to hand over full authority to the technocratic government," a diplomatic source told AFP.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the plan would allow "no exceptions for certain weapons or certain people."

"One authority, one law, one weapon," the source said.

According to the diplomatic source, the roadmap also provides for the dismantling of Hamas's military infrastructure, including tunnels, weapons depots, and arms production facilities.

Under the proposal, all heavy and light weapons would be placed under the authority of the NCAG in coordination with the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational force envisioned to operate under Trump's proposed Board of Peace. A verification mechanism would oversee compliance by both sides.

A Hamas official familiar with the negotiations said the movement is awaiting Israel's response after submitting amendments through the mediators.

The source said Hamas proposed revisions to two sections of the roadmap, including provisions dealing with weapons.

"Some points were removed, and alternatives were proposed," the source said.

According to the Hamas official, negotiators have reached a broad understanding on the definition of heavy weapons and developed a formula centered on restricting and storing such weapons, dismantling armed groups, and linking those measures to a simultaneous Israeli military withdrawal.

However, Israeli officials indicated the proposal remains insufficient.

An Israeli political source told AFP that the draft agreement does not adequately meet Israel's security requirements, reiterating that the government demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, the removal of all weapons from Gaza, and the full demilitarization of the territory before any withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The source also said the future of Gaza was not discussed during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Trump in Washington earlier this week.

The latest negotiations come after months of internationally mediated efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to secure a permanent end to the war in Gaza.

While the first phase of the ceasefire significantly reduced large-scale fighting and enabled increased humanitarian aid deliveries, the second phase has remained stalled over Hamas's future military role, Israel's demand for the group's complete disarmament, and disagreements over the timing of an Israeli military withdrawal and postwar governance of the enclave.