Disarming Hamas Begins in Rafah and Khan Younis: 'Trial Plan' Collides with Field Realities

A trial plan for disarming Hamas and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip faces a difficult test amid complex field and political conditions, imposed by the wide divergence among all parties regarding the plan, as well as the political situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation announced that Tel Aviv has authorized a US company acting on behalf of the Peace Council to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days, aiming to begin identifying and mapping locations from which Hamas can hand over rifles and weapons for destruction.

According to an Israeli official, this step aims to reinforce one of the key steps in the peace plan devised by US President Donald Trump, under which Hamas will relinquish its weapons.

The Israeli official notes that pessimism prevails within Israel's defense establishment regarding the plan's chances of success, but confirmed that Americans are exerting intense pressure on Israel to proceed with its implementation.

Political Obstacles

This step once again reflects the divergent interpretations between Hamas and Israel regarding the ceasefire agreement, as Hamas insists that starting the process of inventorying or collecting weapons is contingent upon completing the provisions of the first and second phases of the ceasefire agreement according to President Trump's plan.

The movement also affirms that it will hand over its weapons to a Palestinian party, referring to the National Committee for Managing Gaza affiliated with the Peace Council; however, Israel has not yet allowed this committee to enter, nearly 10 months after its formation.

This step also highlights American pressure on Israel to advance the agreement, as the approaching Knesset elections scheduled in less than two weeks impose more cautious steps on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces challenges threatening the exclusion of his government coalition.

A Peace Council official stated, "The Council continues to work every day to accelerate the implementation of Trump's 20-point plan and roadmap."

He added to The Times of Israel: "We believe we are capable of moving quickly and beginning the difficult process of disarming Gaza, once we receive the necessary mandate and cooperation guarantees. The Council is working in close coordination with Israeli authorities to finalize the details of the sector's disarmament mechanism within the framework of the task force established during the high-level meeting with the Prime Minister last August."

Skipping Over the Agreement

A Palestinian official told Erm News that "the factions have not been informed of any steps regarding the issue of disarmament so far," refusing to comment directly on what was raised by Israeli media.

However, he indicated that Israel is clearly trying to skip over the agreement's provisions to reach the weapons file without fulfilling other obligations incumbent upon Israel under the deal.

He added that "the Peace Council presents biased positions favoring Israel, including aligning with the Israeli vision on the weapons issue," emphasizing that this vision contradicts the agreement itself and the related roadmap for its implementation.

He considered that "placing the weapons file on the table without looking at Israel's commitment to the remaining provisions of the agreement is a recipe for sabotaging efforts to implement it," stressing that Palestinian factions adhere to applying the agreement as a package in accordance with the roadmap.