US President Donald Trump's peace council has submitted a written proposal for Hamas to disarm, a step that Palestinian militants have so far refused to take. The document was presented to Hamas during meetings in Cairo last week, which included Nickolay Mladenov and Aryeh Lightstone, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Mladenov is Trump's designated envoy to the Gaza Peace Board, while Lightstone serves as an assistant to the president's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The talks were aimed at exploring the possibilities of implementing Trump's plan for Gaza, which was approved in October by Israel and Hamas and provides for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave and the beginning of reconstruction, while demanding that Hamas hand over its weapons.
Mladenov stressed on Thursday that serious efforts are being made to provide aid to war-torn Gaza, relying on a framework agreed upon by mediators that could facilitate the reconstruction of most of the ruined cities. He added that a clear choice is now on the table: complete disarmament by Hamas and every armed group, without exception.
"It is now on the table. It requires a clear choice: complete disarmament by Hamas and every armed group, without exception and without delay. In this time of hope, let those responsible make the right choice for the Palestinian people," Mladenov said, calling on Palestinian leaders to make the decision that could facilitate reconstruction and stability in Gaza.
