A new round of talks was held in Cairo on Saturday, between a Hamas delegation, a representative of Gaza in the "Peace Council," and mediators, aimed at advancing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, a senior Arab source told the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
Hamas is demanding the full implementation of all provisions of the first phase of the ceasefire deal before any discussions begin on the second phase, including the issue of disarming Hamas and other Palestinian Arab terror organizations.
The terror group is also seeking clear guarantees on these matters and intervention by mediators to resolve the existing disagreements, amid concerns that the ongoing stalemate could lead to an Israeli military operation in Gaza to dismantle Hamas’ weapons.
Palestinian Arab political analyst Dr. Hossam al-Dajani stressed the need for a comprehensive vision linking the issue of disarmament to a broader resolution of the Palestinian issue, alongside international guarantees to protect Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem, and Gaza, in light of what he alleged were "daily Israeli violations."
According to him, "It is impossible to agree to the start of the second stage without implementing the first stage, and it is also unacceptable to accept the ‘victory image’ that Netanyahu seeks, which is expressed in the surrender of resistance weapons in exchange only for Gaza’s reconstruction, as this is a proposal that is unacceptable to the Palestinian side."
The first stage of the ceasefire includes Israeli withdrawal to predefined lines, something which Hamas' consistent violations of the ceasefire render impossible at the current time. Disarming Hamas would ensure that the terror group is no longer able to violate the ceasefire, paving the way for Gaza's reconstruction.