Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: Revised Palestinian Proposal on Disarming Gaza

"Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" published a revised Palestinian proposal for implementing the weapons clause in Gaza. The proposal calls for the phased collection and storage of weapons instead of handover. The process will be carried out in parallel with the IDF withdrawal from the Strip. Hamas is waiting in Cairo for Israel and the United States to respond to the new formula.

Palestinians reached an agreement this morning, Thursday, with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey on amendments to the roadmap for implementing the ceasefire agreement. The changes focus on the disputed eighth clause, which deals with the weapons issue of Hamas and the other organizations in the Gaza Strip. The revised proposal was drafted during talks held in recent days in Egypt, after indirect negotiations stalled and prevented progress in implementing the agreement announced last October.

According to the version obtained by the newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, there will be a "gradual, phased implementation of a process of collecting and storing weapons according to a defined timetable." The process will be carried out in parallel with Israel's withdrawal from areas under its control in the Strip, and alongside completion of the first stage of the ceasefire agreement in all its aspects. The first stage includes full implementation of the humanitarian protocol, a halt to attacks, and adherence to the commitment to withdraw IDF forces. Implementation will take place alongside the entry of the "national committee" into its duties, the deployment of an international stabilization force, and the dismantling of armed militias.

The amendment represents a Palestinian attempt to redefine the weapons issue from the perspective of "collection and storage" rather than "handover," within an internal Palestinian framework. The process will be carried out by a Palestinian committee and with international assistance.

The implementation and verification mechanisms will be managed by the Palestinian national committee, with the support of international forces and in cooperation with Palestinian organizations. An implementation verification committee will ensure that no weapons are transferred to Israel or to any non-Palestinian entity. The proposal states that the plan will be carried out "within the framework of Trump's plan and in accordance with the relevant international decisions and laws."

Israel demands the disarmament of terrorist organizations as the most important clause in the second stage of the plan. By contrast, the Palestinian side has insisted on implementing the first-stage requirements, including the IDF withdrawal and the entry of aid and goods into the Strip.

Sources in Hamas and other factions who took part in the meetings in Cairo said the mediators asked the delegation to remain in the Egyptian capital while awaiting a response. According to a Hamas source, the mediators may seek further consultations on points that could draw opposition from Israel or the United States, especially regarding wording, guarantees and implementation mechanisms.