Political sources in the United States and Israel report that Hamas is very close to announcing its full disarmament, according to a Thursday evening report by journalist Ariel Kahana. The report describes a detailed framework for the total dismantling of weapons and tunnel infrastructure, with one source characterizing the move as a surrender.
A Thursday evening report by journalist Ariel Kahana, citing political sources in the US and Israel, states that Hamas is very close to announcing its full disarmament, with one source describing the move as a 'surrender.' The report adds a new characterization to a day of intensive diplomatic reporting that has seen multiple corroborating accounts emerge.
Throughout Thursday, The Zioneer tracked a rapid sequence of developments: at 12:34 Jerusalem, sources reported advanced talks in Cairo on a disarmament framework involving mediation by Qatar and Turkey; at 13:35, two versions were published—the first citing US and Israeli sources that Hamas was close to disarmament, with one official calling it a surrender, followed by an update describing the framework as 'very detailed and rigorous'; at 15:17, reports indicated Hamas had agreed to a full disarmament deal including the surrender of heavy and light weapons, tunnels, and stockpiles to multinational forces; and at 16:04, reports said Israel and Hamas were nearing Phase 2 understandings that include disarmament. The source quality evolved from initial anonymous political sources through multiple newsrooms corroborating the framework's details.
The negotiations have been underway for weeks, with mediation by Qatar, Turkey, and the US. As The Zioneer reported on June 19, a revised weapons-disposal plan backed by US envoys was presented to Hamas. On July 5, sources said Hamas was expected to disband its government emergency committees to facilitate a technocratic administration. Earlier reports, including a July 28 report, had indicated Hamas was insisting on defining its weapons as 'legitimate resistance tools'—a position that appears to have shifted dramatically.
No official announcement has been made by Hamas. The precise timeline for any public declaration, the mechanism for verifying disarmament, and the details of the framework remain unspecified. The report cites multiple anonymous sources, and the framework's terms have not been independently confirmed.
5 developments
- StrongReports: Israel and Hamas near understandings on Phase 2, Hamas expected to disarm
- StrongCairo talks propose framework to eliminate Hamas tunnels, weapons depots
- DevelopingRevised Palestinian proposal on Gaza disarmament reported by Asharq Al-Awsat
- StrongArab report: Hamas delegation flies from Cairo to Turkey ahead of expanded ceasefire talks
Source and signal
- Open-source intake