Hamas will be asked to "surrender all weapons capable of striking Israel," says a draft plan for Gaza prepared by the United States (US), which among other things states that initially, "Hamas will be allowed to keep some small arms."
According to a report in the "New York Times," citing unidentified officials and sources familiar with US President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, the US will offer Hamas a deal for its existing weapons.
It is said that details may change and different drafts may emerge.
The draft plan reportedly calls on Hamas to "surrender all weapons capable of striking Israel," while initially allowing Hamas to "retain some small arms."
The plan, once finalized, will "represent a significant effort towards the demilitarization of Hamas," adding that "if Hamas gives up most of its weapons, this would be a step towards reducing Hamas' monopoly on power."
It also says that the draft plan "envisages a phased disarmament that could take months or more to complete," and that the team, including the High Representative of the Gaza Peace Committee, Nickolay Mladenov, plans to share the final version of the plan with Hamas within a few weeks.
