Hamas position on disarmament to be determined this week – Jerusalem Post
A source familiar with talks between President Trump’s Board of Peace and senior Hamas officials told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that a decision is expected this week on whether Hamas will disarm as part of an agreement.
“We’ll see where things are heading, whether there will be voluntary disarmament or whether it will happen ‘by other means,’ as Trump has warned,” the source said.
Trump said in October last year, “If Hamas does not disarm, we will disarm it.”
The source said discussions between the Board of Peace and Hamas are ongoing and intensive, and that the Trump administration and the Board have not dropped the Gaza issue even when focus shifts to Iran or Lebanon.
Some talks are being conducted through Nikolay Mladenov, CEO of the Peace Council, who has reportedly met senior Hamas officials in Cairo.
Under a February plan by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Hamas would first surrender heavy weapons, defined as “offensive weapons,” and tunnels would be destroyed, followed by a second phase in which it would give up light weapons and all armed groups in Gaza would be banned.
At a recent Israeli security cabinet meeting, several ministers called for military action in central Gaza camps if Hamas refuses to disarm. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said President Trump understands a foreign coalition would not be able to disarm Hamas and that Israel would have to do it itself.
“Trump was unable to assemble a coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz, so he also understands that building a coalition to disarm Hamas is even less realistic, we will have to do it,” Netanyahu told ministers.
