Despite US President Donald Trump’s efforts — led by Vice President JD Vance and envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff — Hamas firmly rejects any move toward disarmament. Senior Israeli security officials say the group is exploiting the ceasefire to rebuild its forces and eliminate rival clans.
US officials hope to replicate the disarmament model envisioned for Hezbollah in Lebanon, but Israeli analysts note that even there, eight months after the ceasefire, Hezbollah still holds and manufactures weapons despite Resolution 1701. Similarly, there is no force in Gaza currently capable of stripping Hamas of its arsenal.
Trump’s peace plan counts on political pressure from Qatar and Turkey — both allies of the Muslim Brotherhood — to influence Hamas, rather than US military involvement. It also envisions an international monitoring force to supervise the process. However, officials question whether any Muslim countries would use force against Hamas if it refuses.
According to Ahmed Yousef, a senior Hamas figure, disarmament could only happen gradually and under Arab-Islamic supervision guaranteeing the movement’s safety — conditions far from being met. Other possibilities include Hamas agreeing to a long-term ceasefire (“Hudna”) without surrendering weapons or pretending to transfer heavy arms to Egypt while secretly rearming.