Hamas moves towards Gaza disarmament deal, sources say

Hamas is moving towards a deal involving the decommissioning of its weapons, sources familiar with ongoing talks with mediators in Cairo said Thursday.

A Hamas source familiar with the talks said the movement was still making amendments to the proposal and was awaiting Israel's response to changes recently submitted to mediators.

The issue of Hamas's disarmament has been one of the key sticking points in advancing the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza since October.

Under US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza, the second phase of the ceasefire was to involve Hamas's disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory. The plan also provides for a group of Palestinian technocrats, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, to assume day-to-day governance during Gaza's transitional phase out of war.

A diplomatic source who was not authorised to speak publicly said the implementation roadmap offered what the source called a balanced and pragmatic path, with all weapons decommissioned and a phased handover of responsibilities to a technocratic government.

The diplomatic source said there would be no exceptions for certain weapons or people, and that the roadmap would create a process for eliminating tunnels, weapons depots and weapons production facilities. The source said all heavy and light weapons would be under the full control of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, in coordination with and with the support of the International Stabilisation Force.

The International Stabilisation Force is envisaged as a body of multinational troops operating under Trump's Board of Peace. The diplomatic source said a verification mechanism would ensure compliance by each side.

The Hamas source said amendments concerned two articles in the roadmap presented by the Board of Peace. On weapons, the Hamas source said some points had been removed and alternatives proposed. The source said there was broad understanding on the definition of heavy weapons and a formula involving restricting and storing heavy weapons, disbanding armed groups and a simultaneous Israeli withdrawal.

Despite the ceasefire, violence has continued in Gaza. Health officials said Israeli strikes killed at least four people, including two children, on Thursday.