Israel and Hamas Near Agreement on Disarming Hamas in Gaza Pilot Program

Israel and Hamas are reportedly close to announcing a preliminary agreement to disarm Hamas in Gaza in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces. Despite skepticism within Israel about Hamas’s willingness to fully disarm, officials involved in the peace council outline plans for a pilot program to begin this winter in areas of Gaza currently outside Hamas control. This pilot will involve relocating tens of thousands of Gazans to these zones, which will be policed by local Palestinian forces vetted to have no ties to Hamas.

The pilot is expected to start around November, following infrastructure work and security preparations including controlled access points without weapons. The peace council emphasizes that no reconstruction in Gaza will occur before Hamas is fully disarmed, and any concrete projects will focus solely on sealing tunnels rather than building new structures. The ultimate goal is for the peace council’s stabilization force to be the sole armed entity in Gaza.

Israeli officials remain cautious, noting that while the tone of negotiations has shifted positively, the path from talks to implementation remains long. Israel rejects proposals from Palestinian sources suggesting Hamas would only store its weapons rather than fully disarm. The agreement reportedly includes disarmament of all weapons in Gaza, including those held by Hamas and the police, with arms to be stored under multinational supervision.

Israeli sources stress there will be no Israeli withdrawal from the original "yellow line" without complete disarmament and cessation of Hamas’s military activities, including recruitment and strengthening. Failure by Hamas to comply would lead to Israel declaring a breach and resuming full military operations in Gaza. The peace council’s pilot program is seen as a first step toward a broader disarmament and stabilization process in the Gaza Strip.