Hamas rejects US-led disarmament plan, demands changes to proposal

Lead

Hamas has rejected the US-led disarmament plan for Gaza, demanding changes and accusing the lead mediator of pro-Israel bias, according to multiple reports. The development marks a significant roadblock in the internationally backed effort to implement a ceasefire and chart a path toward a permanent end to the conflict.

The rejection was confirmed by a senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations, who told the BBC that Hamas has withdrawn from the plan put forward by Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on the US-led Board of Peace. The official accused Mladenov of bias towards Israel, a charge that has been echoed by other Palestinian sources.

Coverage Comparison

Coverage of the standoff varies in emphasis and detail across outlets. The BBC, citing a senior Palestinian official, reported Hamas's rejection and its accusation of bias against Mladenov. The Jerusalem Post, citing sources familiar with the talks, reported that Hamas has conveyed several demands and amendments to the plan, including an end to what it calls Israeli violations and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Reuters reported that a Hamas delegation met with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in Cairo to deliver their initial response to the ceasefire proposal, which was presented to the group last month. TASS, citing a New York Times report, said the Board of Peace had demanded that Hamas agree to demilitarization by the end of the week, requiring the group to give up nearly all its weapons and hand over maps of its tunnel network.

The United States has not set a concrete deadline for Hamas to decide on the disarmament plan, according to an AP report cited by TASS, though one senior US official said America's patience "is not unlimited."

Key Claims

• Hamas has rejected the Board of Peace's disarmament plan and demanded modifications, according to a source cited by the Jerusalem Post.
• Hamas accuses Israel of breaking the ceasefire, while Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting imminent attacks by terrorists, as reported by Reuters.
• Israel says it will not agree to withdraw from Gaza unless Hamas is fully disarmed first, a position reported by multiple sources.
• The US may proceed with reconstruction absent Hamas disarmament, but only in areas under full Israeli military control, according to a single source.
• International actors must accept that only the IDF is capable of disarming Hamas, a claim made by Prof. Kobi Michael in the Jerusalem Post, though this is an opinion, not a factual claim.
• The United States has not set a concrete deadline for Hamas to make a decision regarding disarmament, according to TASS.
• The board's demand includes Hamas giving up virtually all its weapons and handing over maps of its underground tunnel network, as reported by TASS.

Perspectives

Hamas maintains that it will not discuss disarmament without guarantees from Israel that it will fully withdraw from Gaza, a position that has been consistently reported. The group accuses Israel of not fulfilling its obligations under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, insist that progress cannot be made without Hamas's disarmament, framing the issue as a security imperative. A source familiar with the talks told the Jerusalem Post that it would be determined this week whether Hamas will disarm as part of an agreement or whether it will happen "by other means," echoing President Trump's warning.

Nickolay Mladenov, the board's envoy, said he was "fairly optimistic" that a plan can be agreed upon, but cautioned that it will take time.

The core disagreement remains the sequencing of events: Hamas wants a full Israeli withdrawal before disarming, while Israel wants the opposite. This impasse threatens to derail the fragile ceasefire and the broader efforts to end the conflict.