Hamas reaffirms peace roadmap as US and Israel discuss disarmament plan

Diplomatic talks in the region

Hamas reiterated on Tuesday, 18 August, that it remains committed to the peace framework supported by the United States, urging the Israeli government to formally approve the plan. The statement followed diplomatic talks led by US special envoy Jared Kushner, who traveled to Egypt on Sunday, 16 August, to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and representatives of the Palestinian group. Kushner subsequently traveled to Jerusalem on Monday, 17 August, for a multi-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Peace Council, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Speaking after the meetings, Kushner told Fox News in Tel Aviv that he hopes initial steps toward demilitarization could begin within 30 days, starting with the removal of selected weapons and the sealing of tunnels.

Disarmament oversight and Israeli conditions

Following the Jerusalem meeting, Israeli officials and US envoys agreed that an American military officer, General Jasper Jeffers, would supervise the disarmament process as head of a planned International Stabilization Force. Prime Minister Netanyahu maintained that Israeli military forces will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas is completely disarmed and every tunnel is dismantled. Netanyahu's office announced the creation of two working groups, with the first assigned to oversee Gaza demilitarization and the second tasked with public health, sanitation, and clean drinking water access. Representatives of the Peace Council confirmed that all collected weapons must be fully decommissioned so they cannot be reused, while affirming that Israel retains the right to defend itself against imminent threats.

We are going to give them a chance to prove themselves, but that has to be based on actions and concrete steps.

Negotiating framework and governance

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Agence France-Presse that the Palestinian group accepted the roadmap published by the Peace Council on 30 July, which pairs factional disarmament with a full Israeli military withdrawal. Qassem indicated that specific phases and timelines still require detailed definition, but argued that formal Israeli endorsement must come before those mechanisms can advance. Under the original July roadmap, disarmament oversight was assigned to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a transitional body composed of Palestinian technocrats. Israeli officials, however, continue to oppose any governance framework that leaves Hamas with military potential, insisting that reconstruction cannot begin anywhere in Gaza until full demilitarization is verified.

Hamas is committed to respecting this agreed process. It is clear that, until now, the Israeli side has not given mediators its formal agreement on the roadmap.

Strategic calculations on the ground

Academic analysts and researchers observe that three years of war following the 7 October attacks have severely diminished the military capabilities of Hamas in Gaza. Khaled Elgindy, a researcher at the Quincy Institute in Washington, noted that the group faces severe constraints and is primarily focused on how any disarmament process would be organized. Hamed Qusay, a political science professor at Al-Quds University in Ramallah, stated that the civilian population in Gaza is not prepared for renewed fighting for the next five to ten years, leading the faction to freeze its armed activity tactically while political leadership tests Israeli compliance.