Hamas Official Floats Discussions for Decommissioning Group’s Long-Range Weapons

Latest Developments

Hamas Official Says Partial Disarmament ‘Reasonable To Discuss’: Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk claimed on November 5 that the group may be willing to negotiate partial disarmament. While speaking to the Qatari-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera about the prospects of laying down arms, Abu Marzouk stated, “If you’re referring to weapons with ranges beyond the buffer zone [in Gaza], then yes, that’s reasonable to discuss, because they could pose a threat to the other side,” in an oblique reference to Hamas’s depleted stockpile of missiles and rockets.
Not There Yet: Despite Abu Marzouk’s comments about Hamas partially relinquishing its weapons, the terrorist chief clarified that negotiations for phase two of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan, which stipulates the complete disarmament of the group, had yet to begin. “We haven’t entered that phase yet to have such discussions,” he said. “Our goal is stability and preventing war. Their [Israel’s] goal is to avoid threats and prevent another October 7 [style attack].” Abu Marzouk also claimed during the interview that Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) had agreed to the establishment of a temporary committee that would manage Gaza, led by a PA official.
Hundreds of Hamas Terrorists in Israeli-Controlled Gaza: Hundreds of armed Hamas terrorists remain entrenched in tunnels on the Israeli side of the “Yellow Line,” which separates the area controlled by the IDF from those portions of Gaza still under Hamas control. Despite U.S. pressure on Israel to allow for their safe passage, Israel wants the terror operatives to either surrender or face elimination. Rafah-based Hamas cells launched two attacks in the days following the ceasefire’s implementation, killing a total of three IDF troops. Both Arab and Israeli officials have confirmed that Hamas still maintains the ability to communicate with the trapped terrorists despite the group previously claiming that it had lost contact with them.

FDD Expert Response

“Israel and the United States should view Abu Marzouk’s remarks with skepticism rather than as a genuine commitment to disarmament. At best, Hamas may offer token gestures designed to create the illusion of compliance with President Trump’s ceasefire plan. Yet actions speak louder than words: the group has shown no tangible intent to lay down its arms. On the contrary, it has tightened its grip on internal dissent, suppressing Palestinian opposition instead of moving toward demilitarization.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Hamas is continuing to violate phase one of the Gaza ceasefire agreement by not instructing isolated pockets of Hamas terrorists inside Israeli-controlled territory — especially in Rafah — to surrender to the IDF. The group maintains clear communication with these cells and could issue the order to lay down their weapons at any point in time. Conversely, Hamas could just as easily direct these isolated terrorists to stage ambushes against IDF troops, creating an extremely volatile situation across the Yellow Line.” — Aaron Goren, Research Analyst and Editor