Hamas has stated it would agree to disarm provided that Israel withdraws from Gaza and agrees to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. A member of the negotiating team explained that the group is making these concessions to save Gazans from killing and displacement.
The proposal involves a multiphase process in which Palestinian militant groups would lose power in Gaza and Israel would withdraw from the enclave. However, the laying down of heavy weapons would occur later in the process and remains contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, a condition that the current Israeli government adamantly rejects.
These requirements may dent the prospects of reviving the protracted peace process. Meanwhile, although an October ceasefire remains in place between Israel and Hamas, it has not halted the violence in Gaza.