Israel and Hamas are preparing to enter phase two of a US-led plan aimed at ending the ongoing war in Gaza, but disagreements remain over the role of an international stabilization force in the enclave.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said on Sunday that the US draft “requires a lot of clarifications.” While Hamas is open to “freezing or storing” weapons during the truce, it rejects any international force overseeing disarmament. “We welcome a [United Nations] force near the borders to monitor the ceasefire, report violations, and prevent escalation,” Naim said, emphasizing that it should not have any mandates inside Palestinian territory.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would meet with Donald Trump later this month to discuss moving to the next phase of the plan. He stressed that the focus would be on ending Hamas governance in Gaza and ensuring the group meets its commitments, including the enclave’s demilitarization. “Phase two, no less daunting, is to achieve the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza,” Netanyahu said during a press conference with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
It remains unclear whether Hamas’s proposal to freeze or store weapons would satisfy Israel’s demand for full disarmament. Naim stated that Hamas retains its “right to resist” and suggested that disarmament could occur as part of a broader process toward Palestinian statehood, potentially including a long-term truce of five to ten years. While the US plan leaves the door open to Palestinian independence, Netanyahu has long opposed it, arguing that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas.