Latest Gaza ceasefire proposal calls for Hamas handing over heavy weapons within 90 days

A new proposal submitted by Gaza ceasefire mediators to Hamas leadership calls on the terrorist group to hand over rockets, launchers and maps of its tunnel network within 90 days, two Arab diplomats told The Times of Israel on Friday. Details were first reported by The New York Times, Haaretz and National Public Radio.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the Arab diplomats said the proposal includes a buyback program with financial incentives and jobs for Hamas members who hand over their personal weapons. The Trump administration brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in October 2025 after two years of war following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

The ceasefire agreement mandates Hamas’ disarmament, yet the group has repeatedly rejected the demand. While it has recently hinted at handing over some weapons, Hamas continues to insist on retaining lighter arms, which it claims are needed for “self-defense.”

The new proposal is intended to initiate the disarmament process by focusing first on heavier weapons. However, a second Arab diplomat cautioned that implementation could take longer than the envisioned 90 days. It also calls for Hamas to transfer weapons to a new police force in Gaza, which has yet to be established to administer security in the coastal enclave.

It remains unclear who would be eligible to serve in the new force. Individuals with prior ties to Hamas would need Israeli approval before being accepted. However, the Arab source emphasized that Israel will not accept the participation of Hamas terrorists involved in the Oct. 7 attack.

The "yellow line" currently divides Gaza into roughly two equal parts – one controlled by the Israeli military and the other still mostly controlled by Hamas. The new proposal calls for a gradual disarmament of Hamas forces, starting in the southern Gaza Strip. One Arab diplomat said that the longer-term goal is for the local police force and the International Stabilization Force to gradually assume responsibility for security in areas where Hamas has handed over its weapons.

The plan envisions a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, although one of the sources expressed doubt that Israel would agree to further troop reductions.

Israel has called for Hamas to hand over all of its arms at once, in accordance with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. However, officials from the mediating nations – Turkey, Egypt and Qatar – have said this demand is “unrealistic.”

Board of Peace High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov on Thursday called for a framework that “can unlock reconstruction, breathe life into communities, and bring us closer to unity and a negotiated resolution of the Palestinian question. It is now on the table.”