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It's All about Hamas's Disarmament
(Atlantic Council) Amb. Daniel B. Shapiro - The core elements of phase two of President Trump's plan for Gaza are Hamas's disarmament, the reconstruction of Gaza, the establishment of an interim Palestinian technocratic government under an international "Board of Peace" chaired by Trump, the deployment of an international stabilization force, and the gradual return of a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) to governance in Gaza. All of these objectives hinge on Hamas's disarmament. Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, I led a State Department task force on "day-after" planning for Gaza. We immediately established as one of our core assumptions that unless Hamas was defeated, disarmed, and removed from power, there would be no "day-after." The postwar gains we envisioned - Gulf-funded reconstruction, an international security force, and PA involvement in governance - would all be impossible if Hamas remained armed and in control. Qatar and Turkey have proven that, when properly motivated, they can exert decisive influence over Hamas. Trump should once again leverage both, using fresh incentives to press Hamas to surrender its arms. A critical mass of Hamas fighters and remaining leaders could then accept safe passage into exile, allowing an international stabilization force and technical experts to safely decommission Hamas's remaining tunnel networks. There is precedent for this. In 1982, U.S. diplomats helped arrange the peaceful departure of some 14,000 Palestine Liberation Organization personnel from Beirut while the Israeli military besieged the city. The writer served as U.S. ambassador to Israel (2011-17), and as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.