Hamas has refused to disarm before the Israeli military leaves Gaza, but Tel Aviv has said it is planning to occupy the Strip [Getty]
Qatari and Egyptian mediators are drafting a new proposal for Gaza that would include the release of all Israeli captives, both dead and alive, in exchange for a ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
Two Arab officials who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press (AP) said efforts to reach a new ceasefire agreement have the backing of several Gulf states. One of the officials said they were directly involved in the negotiations while the other was familiar with the matter.
AP reported that work was still underway on the new framework for an agreement, which aims to solve pressing issues such as Hamas’ weapons. The latest Qatari and Egyptian efforts are seeking to find an alternative which could see Hamas keep its arms but refrain from using them.
The new framework also calls on Hamas to cede power in the Gaza Strip, which the movement has governed since 2007. Several Arab states, including Qatar, have called on the group to hand over its arms and step aside from power in post-war Gaza.
One official told AP, “A Palestinian-Arab committee will take over the administration of Gaza and oversee reconstruction efforts until a Palestinian administration with new security forces trained by two US allies in the Middle East is established to take over the Strip.”
The official did not name the two countries that will train the security forces.
Washington has been informed of the broad outlines of the framework being discussed, said AP.
Hamas has refused to lay down its arms as long as Israel continues to bombard and occupy the coastal enclave.
But the Israeli cabinet’s recent decision to expand military operations and fully occupy the Gaza Strip are likely to complicate any mediation efforts.
Up to one million Palestinians in Gaza could be displaced with the new occupation plans, that will see the Israeli military focus its offensive in the northern and central part of the territory, including Gaza City.
Israel has said a main condition it refuses to back down on was dismantling the Palestinian group’s military and governing capabilities in Gaza. Tel Aviv also says it will not allow the current West Bank-based Palestinian Authority to govern the enclave.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel’s goal is not to take over Gaza, “but to free Gaza from Hamas and enable a peaceful government to be established there”.
Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war.
Both Arab officials who spoke to AP relayed the Gulf states’ concerns that regional stability would be further threatened if Israel reoccupies the Gaza Strip.
Doha and Cairo have not issued any statements on the AP report.
One Hamas official who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media told AP that the Palestinian group had not yet received any details regarding the new proposal.
Separately, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on X that US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Qatar’s prime minister on Saturday in Spain to discuss a plan to end the war in Gaza and release captives.
Israel believes around 49 still remain held in Gaza, 20 of them still alive.
More than 61,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the Israeli offensive since 7 October 2023, including more than 200 who have died of hunger-related causes due to Israeli restrictions on aid.
