US Gaza plan seeks Hamas disarmament and end to its rule, reports say

Under the framework, Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza would be required to hand over their weapons, with no exceptions, before the next phase of the plan could be implemented. The proposal ties demilitarisation directly to rebuilding the enclave and to additional Israeli withdrawal steps, making disarmament one of the central conditions of Washington’s current Gaza strategy.

Mladenov said this week that the framework is now on the table and urged those responsible to make what he called the right choice for the Palestinian people. But the proposal remains highly contentious. Hamas has so far rejected demands to disarm, and sources close to the group say it is unlikely to surrender rifles and other weapons because members fear attacks from rival militias in Gaza, some of which they believe have backing from Israel.

The dispute is also about sequencing. Palestinian officials and analysts say Hamas is unlikely to accept full disarmament without clear guarantees that Israeli forces will withdraw and that reconstruction will begin without delay. International reporting has noted that Israel still controls roughly half of Gaza, while Hamas remains entrenched in the other half, leaving two sides that are still deeply divided on what comes first: disarmament, withdrawal, or rebuilding.

US officials have floated incentives including possible amnesty and targeted investment in Gaza if Hamas agrees to lay down its arms. But there are questions over how much money is truly available to support the plan. About $7 billion in reconstruction pledges were gathered in February, much of it from Gulf states, yet only a small share has reportedly been delivered so far.

The diplomatic track has also been strained by the wider regional war. Talks on Gaza disarmament were effectively put on hold after the US Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, even as Israel continued strikes inside Gaza. Hamas officials have accused Israel of using the regional conflict to evade earlier obligations under the ceasefire framework, a charge Israel rejects.

For now, the US proposal appears to offer a path forward only if Hamas accepts terms that many Palestinians see as heavily tilted toward Israeli security demands. That leaves the future of Gaza’s next phase uncertain, with reconstruction, governance, and any durable ceasefire still tied to a disarmament issue that neither side appears ready to resolve quickly.