Gaza Genocide02 July, 20262 min read
Peace Council Gives Hamas Deadline To Approve Disarmament Proposal In Cairo
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Disarmament proposal linked to second phase of Trump's Gaza plan. Hamas rejected Miladinov's report and postponed Cairo talks after commander Az-Din al-Haddad's death.
Deadline and Disarmament
The Peace Council in Gaza gave Hamas a deadline until the end of the week to approve a disarmament proposal, aiming to pave the way for the second phase of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, according to Euronews. Euronews said the council’s senior representative Nikolai Mladenov met in Cairo on Friday with a delegation of Hamas’s senior officials, where the movement was told it must reach an agreement on disarmament before the end of the week.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that an informed source from a participating faction denied that the weapons of the resistance were discussed in the leaked manner, saying the issue was not raised as circulated in the past 48 hours. The same Al-Quds Al-Arabi source said Hamas opposed discussing the weapons of the resistance and told the trio of mediators and the UN’s High Representative for the Peace Council, Nikolai Miladinov, that the movement first demands fully implementing all items of the first phase before moving to the second phase.
Competing Narratives in Cairo
Euronews reported that during the Cairo meeting Hamas did not reject the proposal outright, but emphasized what it considered Israel’s failure to implement the first phase, including the limited operation of the Rafah crossing and the decline in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza. Euronews also said a follow-up meeting is scheduled in Cairo on Tuesday between the council’s envoy and Hamas officials, while it described mediators’ optimism as not shared by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi said Hamas told mediators that it was discussing modifying Miladinov’s plan, and that in Gaza negotiations “the issue of weapon disarmament was not discussed.” Al-Quds Al-Arabi further reported that the third day of negotiations included two meetings in Cairo, one with the mediators and the Hamas delegation led by Khalil Al-Hayya, and a second wide meeting attended by all delegations participating with the trio of mediators.
Reconstruction Hinges on Terms
Euronews described a multi-stage plan that would destroy Hamas’s tunnel network in Gaza and gradually hand over its weapons on an eight-month timetable, with rebuilding Gaza directly linked to Hamas’s agreement to disarm. Euronews said Mladenov had hinted at possible consequences if the movement refused, via a tweet stating, "He who does not cross the river will drown in the sea."
Al-Sharq reported that Hamas told mediators on Thursday it rejected the report presented by Nikolai Miladinov, and said a Cairo meeting was postponed due to the assassination of Hamas’s military commander, Az-Din al-Haddad, killed by an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City on Friday. Al-Sharq also quoted Miladinov warning the UN Security Council that the current division of the Gaza Strip may become permanent, with more than two million people living in less than half of its territory unless the ceasefire is consolidated.