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Dispute over Disarming Hamas Blocks Efforts to Extend Gaza Ceasefire

(Washington Post) Gerry Shih - The first 42-day phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is set to expire on Saturday, but the parties appear far from reaching an agreement to proceed to the second phase. Israel has demanded that Hamas lay down its arms and leave Gaza as a precondition to ending the war. For Hamas, giving up its weapons would contradict its stated purpose of waging armed struggle against Israel until it withdraws from all Palestinian territories. Hamas officials have recently said they are open to sharing power with other Palestinian factions in Gaza, but they insist on retaining fighting capabilities - a role similar to the one played in Lebanon by Hizbullah. Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, a senior official at the State Department and the Pentagon during the Biden administration, said, "I don't think Hamas yet feels like they have to give up the weapons and tunnels, which of course they will have to do." Regarding the emerging Arab proposal for the future of Gaza, Shapiro said, "So far, it doesn't sound like the Arab proposal goes deep on demilitarization or on ensuring Palestinian technocratic governance that would deliver for the Israeli side by preventing Hamas from being the power behind the scenes, like Hizbullah was for many years in Lebanon, and still posing a threat to Israel."
2025-02-27 00:00:00
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