A Palestinian terrorist wearing the uniform of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, on October 15, 2025.
Ahmed Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Ahmed Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images
SHEFFILD, UK, and JERUSALEM — A senior U.S. official told NPR that mediators have made a formal offer to Hamas to give up its weapons. The resolution calls on Hamas and all other terrorist groups in Gaza to hand over all weapons, allowing an emerging governing authority to be responsible for all weapons.
An additional official in the region said the demilitarization proposal was submitted to Hamas in Cairo last week.
A third person briefed on the proposal called it a comprehensive framework to ensure the “complete handover” and “complete decommissioning” of weapons belonging to Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, and that if Hamas accepts the proposal, it would ensure the large-scale reconstruction of Gaza.
The person said Hamas has been asked to respond to the proposal within about a week after the Muslim Eid holidays. Senior Hamas officials did not immediately comment, and a Hamas official denied receiving any proposal.
Hamas and Israel signed President Trump’s ceasefire agreement last October, in an effort to end a two-year war that has devastated Gaza and triggered conflicts throughout the Middle East.
Trump’s peace board was established to oversee efforts to demilitarize Hamas, establish a multinational stabilization force for Gaza, and ensure Israeli military withdrawal from the territory. Hamas officials said they were willing to discuss their weapons but were waiting for a formal proposal from mediators.
However, the peace board’s work has largely stalled since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, sparking a new regional conflict that has engulfed more than a dozen countries.
Members of the new Palestinian Transitional Committee appointed to run Gaza after the war have still not entered the territory, and no new Palestinian police force or multinational force has been formed.
Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians, the majority of whom are civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Israel says that Hamas terrorists were targeted in the attacks. Many Israeli soldiers have also been killed in terrorist attacks.
Robert Dannin, a former senior US State Department official and White House official with expertise in the Middle East, said it was unlikely that Hamas would rush to respond to or agree to the demilitarization proposal.
“Hamas feels that time is on its side at this point,” Danin said. “With each passing day, its influence and control on the ground in Gaza strengthens and expands, especially as long as the Peace Board’s proposed alternative governance structures and forces for Gaza remain stuck outside the Strip. So the longer Hamas can extend this status quo, the stronger it will see its hand strengthened for any day.”
Danin said the distraction caused by a war with Iran would also likely distract from putting pressure on Hamas.
“This means that for the peace board and those trying to disarm Hamas, the key question is, what tools does it have to get Hamas to adopt this plan?” He said.
According to Israel, the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people. Israel’s massive military response left more than 70,000 people dead in Gaza and left the coastal region in ruins, according to Palestinian health officials.
Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians, most of them civilians, over the past six months, according to Gaza health officials, with Israel saying the attacks were targeting Hamas militants. Many Israeli soldiers have also been killed in terrorist attacks.
