A US-backed demilitarization proposal reportedly includes paying terrorists to surrender their guns.
Few seriously believe Hamas will willingly disarm. That is why one idea floated in the American demilitarization framework for Gaza is a weapons “buyback” program — paying cash for every firearm turned in.
If we look only at assault rifles — Kalashnikovs and similar weapons — the numbers are already significant. According to Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, Hamas holds roughly 60,000 rifles in Gaza.
Estimates suggest the black-market price of a rifle in Gaza ranges between $300 and $1,000. Using Danon’s figure, a buyback program limited solely to assault rifles would cost between $18 million and $60 million.
