Egyptians Tell U.S. Hamas Will Disarm Only if Palestinian State Created

Latest Developments

• Hamas Will Disarm Only if Palestinian State Created: Egyptian officials have warned the United States that Hamas still retains significant military capabilities in Gaza, including the ability to strike Israel, according to a report in the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar. The officials reportedly added that Hamas will disarm only when a “Palestinian state is created with East Jerusalem as its capital” and the terrorist organization receives “firm guarantees that Israel will not violate any potential agreement and resume strikes on Hamas.” The warnings come as President Donald Trump remains determined to move into phase two of the U.S.-brokered Gaza peace plan, which stipulates the disarmament of Hamas.
• Qatar Waging ‘Jihad’ Against Israel: In discussions with U.S. officials, Qatar and Egypt have accused Israel of “trying to impose realities on the ground in Gaza” by expanding the buffer zone behind the yellow line that divides IDF- and Hamas-controlled parts of the enclave. Meanwhile, Israeli media outlets quoted a senior official asserting that Qatar aimed to “destroy the relationship between Israel and the Trump administration from the ground up.” The same official charged that Qatar was waging “jihad” against Israel.
• Anti-Hamas Leader in Gaza Proposes Militia Unification: In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal on December 11, the commander of the anti-Hamas militia Counter Terrorism Strike Force, Hussam al-Astal, called for the unification of Gaza’s five anti-Hamas militias. “As time passes, it is clear that our groups should unite under the banner of a new Gaza security service,” he wrote. “I recommend that our combined force report to President Trump’s Board of Peace, and that our forces take an oath that neither Hamas nor any other terrorist group will take power in Gaza again.”

FDD Expert Response

“Washington and Jerusalem should dispel the illusion that Hamas will ever disarm of its own accord. The Egyptian official’s explanation that Hamas would relinquish its weapons in exchange for the creation of a Palestinian state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital is not only implausible but also internally incoherent. Hamas’s political leverage, such as it is, derives almost entirely from its arsenal, and it has clearly demonstrated a willingness to use violence against both Israelis and Palestinians to achieve its goals.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“It is encouraging that anti-Hamas Palestinians are mobilizing in this way. Neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority is popular, and the great untapped Palestinian constituency has always been civil society leaders disenchanted with both. This development underlines that Hamas allies Turkey and Qatar must be kept out of Gaza at all costs. Turkish troops deployed there as part of an International Stabilization Force would tip the scale against these militias in favor of Hamas.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow

FDD Background and Analysis

“Israel awaits return of last hostage, next phase of Gaza ceasefire under discussion,” by Seth J. Frantzman

“Top Hamas Officials Contradict Each Other Over Disarmament,” by Aaron Goren

“Netanyahu to Discuss Phase 2 of Gaza Ceasefire With Trump, Key Issues Still To Be Negotiated,” FDD Flash Brief

“Anti-Hamas Popular Forces militia leader killed in Gaza,” by Joe Truzman