At a time when Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye helped draft a plan submitted by the Board of Peace to disarm factions in Gaza, Hamas sources acknowledged “differences” with mediators over the proposal.
Sources familiar with the Gaza Administration Committee said mediators involved in ceasefire talks had been fully briefed on the Board of Peace plan before it was presented to Hamas and other factions.
A document published by Reuters and other media outlets last week showed that the Board of Peace, formed by US President Donald Trump, had proposed that Hamas dismantle its tunnel network in the Gaza Strip and give up weapons in stages over eight months.
The plan lays out a timeline starting with a national committee taking over security in Gaza and ending with a full Israeli withdrawal once “final verification” that the enclave is free of weapons is achieved.
Sources close to the Gaza Committee said the three mediating countries, working with the United States, helped shape the proposal, introducing amendments and comments during drafting.
After confirming receipt of the proposal last week, Hamas officials voiced anger at the Board of Peace’s High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, after he told the Security Council that reconstruction could not begin until disarmament phases were verified.
Mediator backing
Two Hamas sources in Gaza said they were unaware of any direct involvement by mediators in drafting the plan, but suggested that the mediators likely knew its details before it was presented.
A senior Hamas source outside Gaza said the group had not received clear confirmation of such involvement, but that the proposal’s language and mediator support indicated prior knowledge.
The senior source said the plan had been discussed internally and that some provisions were reviewed with mediators during meetings in Egypt and Türkiye in recent days.
They said a unified Palestinian position would be presented within a clear framework aimed at amending key clauses, rejecting any link between disarmament and progress on other steps.
They stressed “the need to obligate Israel to fulfill its commitments,” saying the current plan allows it to maneuver and pressure what he described as the “resistance” to achieve its core aim of keeping Gaza demilitarized while retaining security control.
“Differences are normal”
Asked about gaps between Hamas and mediators, the three sources agreed there were “differences,” one describing them as “normal.”
The senior source said the proposal does not fully meet Palestinian demands and requires factions to surrender weapons without a meaningful return from Israel.
They pointed to earlier ceasefire talks, when mediators showed responsiveness to faction demands, prompting them and the United States to engage positively with proposals, an approach factions hope will be repeated.
Hamas is likely to struggle to reject the plan outright and may instead seek amendments to secure what it sees as Palestinian gains. Israel has clearly rejected such changes and has signaled a possible return to war.
The plan calls for full disarmament, light and heavy weapons, factional, tribal, and personal, under a framework of “one law and one weapon,” while ensuring Hamas has no role in governing Gaza, either civilly or in security.
An Egyptian source told Asharq Al-Awsat about a week ago that Egypt’s Interior Ministry will receive thousands of candidates for a Palestinian police force tasked with maintaining security in Gaza under a ceasefire deal.
Recruits will undergo six weeks of training, with others set to train in Jordan.
The Gaza Administration Committee has recently opened applications for security roles in the new force, drawing tens of thousands of applicants, although the initial target is about 5,000 officers.
The United States, working with Israel, aims to start reconstruction in southern Gaza, particularly in Rafah, areas under Israeli control, before moving to Hamas-held areas.
Under the plan, reconstruction is tied to disarmament, a condition Hamas has consistently rejected.
