Bishara Bahbah says Hamas proposes 10 year ceasefire and disarmament - interview

Hamas has signaled an unprecedented willingness to relinquish its military capabilities as part of a proposed agreement brokered by the Board of Peace, according to prominent Palestinian-American scholar and former mediator Dr. Bishara Bahbah. He claims the group has presented a detailed demilitarization proposal to the Trump administration.

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I think the Palestinian side, including Hamas, is very serious about the proposal they have put together.

In an interview, Bahbah described what he characterized as Hamas's most far-reaching proposal to date. It includes commitments to surrender its weapons, halt all military activity, end weapons smuggling, and abandon Gaza's extensive tunnel network. In return, Hamas seeks a long-term ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal.

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The proposal talked about Hamas giving up its weapons. It would entail Hamas not developing any weapons, not smuggling any weapons, not demonstrating military capabilities in Gaza, and giving up the use of the tunnels.

Bahbah stated that Hamas submitted the proposal approximately three weeks ago, and he personally transferred it to White House officials. The proposal envisions a 10-to-15-year hudna, or ceasefire. Under this agreement, Hamas would also give up all its weapons, cease manufacturing and smuggling them, refrain from demonstrating military capabilities in Gaza, and abandon the use of tunnels across the Strip.

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My feeling is that the initial Israeli response has been negative.

Despite expressing optimism about Hamas's intentions, Bahbah acknowledged that Israel has responded cautiously. He noted that the initial Israeli response has been negative, with officials unconvinced that Hamas is prepared to irreversibly dismantle its military infrastructure before an International Stabilization Force is deployed and Israeli forces begin withdrawing. Bahbah suggested Hamas faces pressure from other Palestinian factions, particularly allies of former Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, to abandon armed struggle to allow reconstruction to begin.

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They have been under tremendous pressure from the various Palestinian factions, particularly from Mohammed Dahlan's group, to really, once and for all, give up their weapons so Israel can begin withdrawing and reconstruction can begin.