Hamas plans to discuss disarmament and its disapproval of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) appointments during upcoming talks with mediators in Egypt, a source with knowledge of the matter told Sky News Arabia on Thursday.
The Hamas delegation intends to present demilitarization-related proposals to its Egyptian counterpart, including one that suggests that the terrorist group would pause the use of all weapons until a full withdrawal of the Israeli military from the Gaza Strip is complete, the source told Sky News Arabia.
Another idea set to be proposed is that Hamas may surrender “heavy weapons,” including its remaining missiles and rockets, and maps of its intricate underground terror tunnel network, in exchange for permission to retain light weapons, such as guns.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the New York Times published a report claiming that an initial draft of the United States plan for demilitarizing the terrorist group included allowing Hamas to keep small arms, citing officials familiar with the draft.
National Committee for the Administration of Gaza's role in disarmament
The Cairo meeting is part of a larger set of negotiations intended to work out the logistics for implementing US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which included the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic body set to take over governance of the enclave.
According to Sky News Arabia’s source, Hamas additionally intends to advocate for the integration of its terrorists into “the future administration of the Gaza Strip” during the Cairo talks.
The NCAG, according to US-set demilitarization principles, will oversee and verify the disarmament of terrorist groups in Gaza, including Hamas, with one goal being to ensure that all arms maintained by individuals are registered with and approved by the NCAG.
Hamas involvement in the NCAG may result in the terrorist organization maintaining some amount of power in the Gaza Strip or reducing the effectiveness of disarmament efforts.
According to the Sky News Arabia source, Hamas officials objected to the appointment of Sami Nasman to oversee security under the NCAG.
Gaza-native Nasman, a former Palestinian Authority general, was accused by Hamas of “instigating chaos” in 2007 after he moved to the West Bank following clashes between the PA and Hamas.
Hamas officials believe that Nasman’s appointment “could provoke retaliatory reactions,” Sky News Arabia quoted their source as saying.
Shir Perets and Reuters contributed to this report.