Hamas has signaled an unprecedented willingness to relinquish its military capabilities as part of a proposed agreement brokered by the Board of Peace, according to prominent Palestinian-American scholar and former hostage deal mediator Bishara Bahbah.
He said the group has already presented a detailed demilitarization proposal to the Trump administration.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Bahbah described what he characterized as Hamas’s most far-reaching proposal to date.
Submitted approximately three weeks ago and hand-delivered by Bahbah to White House officials, the proposal envisions a 10-to-15-year hudna (ceasefire).
Under this framework, Hamas will commit to surrendering its weapons, halting arms manufacturing and smuggling, refraining from military demonstrations, and abandoning Gaza’s extensive tunnel network in exchange for a long-term ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal.
“I think the Palestinian side, including Hamas, is very serious about the proposal they have put together,” Bahbah said. “The utility of their arms has come to an end.”
Israel responds cautiously to Hamas proposal
Despite his optimism, Bahbah acknowledged that Israel has responded cautiously.
“My feeling is that the initial Israeli response has been negative,” he said. “They don’t think what Hamas is proposing is sufficient in terms of actually giving up its arms.”
According to Bahbah, Israeli officials remain unconvinced that Hamas is prepared to irreversibly dismantle its military infrastructure before the International Stabilization Force deploys and Israeli forces begin withdrawing.
He noted that Hamas has faced intense pressure from other Palestinian factions – particularly allies of former Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan – to permanently abandon armed struggle so that reconstruction can begin.
Furthermore, Hamas increasingly recognizes that its military strategy is unsustainable, he said.
“I think Hamas has come to the realization that if it wants to continue to be a political entity, it can no longer have weapons,” Bahbah explained.
“What kind of weapons do they still have that could be used against the Israelis? If they ever use those weapons again, Israel would immediately respond with devastating force.”
Security of Hamas leadership a high priority
Bahbah identified one central, yet overlooked, issue remaining in the negotiations: post-disarmament security guarantees for Hamas members and leaders.
While the group avoids discussing this publicly, Bahbah argued that internal discussions show it is a top priority.
“I believe that if the United States is able to guarantee that once Hamas gives up its weapons, there will be guarantees for the safety of Hamas members and its leadership, then that becomes a very important element of the agreement,” he said.
Ultimately, Bahbah said he believes that if Israel accepts verified disarmament and proceeds with the deployment of the International Stabilization Force, the conflict could effectively end.
“The way I understand it is that Israel is not willing to withdraw from Gaza until Hamas gives up its arms,” he said.
“If Israel respects the fact that Hamas is handing over its weapons, whether to an international force, NCAG [National Committee for the Administration of Gaza] or the Egyptians, I believe that is the end of the war in Gaza. I sincerely hope that will be the case.”