Hamas names main condition for disarmament

A Hamas source said the group will only agree to give up its weapons through negotiations that result in the establishment of a Palestinian state, The Times of Israel reported.

“This cannot be done by force or ultimatums. Israel used all of its military might for two years [to try and disarm Hamas], and it didn’t work,” the Hamas source said.

The ability of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan to advance past its first phase largely hinges on Hamas agreeing to disarm, with Israel pledging to resume the war if the Palestinian radical group doesn’t agree to give up its weapons willingly.

The Trump plan envisions an International Stabilization Force gradually phasing out the Israeli army’s presence in the Strip, and the administration hopes to begin deploying the ISF at the beginning of January.