Hamas must disarm, Egyptian peace proposal

An unnamed senior official told Al Jazeera that Hamas had received a new ceasefire proposal from Egypt — but that the Egyptian side emphasised that no deal could be reached with Israel unless the Palestinian group laid down its arms.

“Our negotiating delegation was surprised that the proposal Egypt conveyed included an explicit text regarding the disarmament of the resistance,” the official said. “Egypt informed us that there will be no agreement to stop the war without negotiating the disarmament of the resistance.”

According to the official, Hamas stuck to its position that any agreement should be centred on an end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza and its withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave. The official added that Hamas’s weapons were “not subject to discussion”.

Israel has repeatedly insisted that Hamas must be defeated — including being disarmed — for the conflict to end.

Meanwhile Hamas has said it is studying the proposal it received from mediators for a ceasefire in Gaza, adding it will submit its response “as soon as possible”, Reuters reports.

Egypt earlier received an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in the enclave, the state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV cited sources as saying yesterday, after talks ended in Cairo without a breakthrough.

Also French President Macron, following his conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said on X that “France is fully mobilised for the liberation of all hostages, a return to a durable ceasefire and immediate access for humanitarian aid into Gaza”.

He also advocated “reform” of the Palestinian Authority as part of a plan that would see the Ramallah-based body, which currently has partial administrative control in the occupied West Bank, govern a post-war Gaza without Hamas.

“It is essential to set a framework for the day after: disarm and sideline Hamas, define credible governance and reform the Palestinian Authority,” Macron said.