Global & US Headlines
Hamas Floats Conditional Disarmament for Full Israeli Withdrawal
On 6–7 Dec 2025, Gaza leader Khalil al-Hayya declared Hamas would transfer its arsenal to a future Palestinian state’s authority — but only once Israel ends all military presence in Gaza and recognises sovereign Palestinian control.
Focusing Facts
- Statement issued 6 Dec 2025: “If the occupation ends, these weapons will be placed under the authority of the state,” per AFP quoting al-Hayya.
- Hayya said Hamas will tolerate a UN border-monitoring force but rejects any international mission mandated to seize its arms.
- Gaza health ministry reports 360 Palestinians killed since the Oct 10 cease-fire, underscoring pressure for a lasting settlement.
Context
Militants relinquishing arms in exchange for political legitimacy evokes the IRA’s 2005 de-commissioning seven years after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, or FARC’s 2016 hand-in after Colombia’s peace deal. Each followed a guarantee of political participation and security assurances — not mere promises of future talks. Hamas’s offer likewise ties disarmament to a concrete sovereign outcome, reflecting a century-long pattern in which armed movements (from Haganah pre-1948 to the PLO post-1988) transform only when the security architecture around them shifts. The statement also reveals the structural dilemma: Israel’s current government rejects a Palestinian state, while Hamas knows post-war Gaza cannot rebuild under perpetual siege. Whether this moment matters in 2125 will hinge on if it sparks an enforceable withdrawal–sovereignty trade-off. If accepted, it could mark the first substantial demilitarisation inside historic Palestine since the 1979 Sinai model; if dismissed, it will join decades of unrealised overtures, reinforcing the cycle where promises of guns-for-statehood are made but never cashed.
Perspectives
Arab and regional media
e.g., Arab News, Al Arabiya — Portray Hamas’s pledge to hand over its weapons once the Israeli occupation ends as a significant, good-faith step toward a future Palestinian state. Stories avoid the word “terrorist” for Hamas and focus on Israeli withdrawal as the main hurdle, glossing over Israeli security concerns or Hamas’s past hard-line statements.
International wire/foreign outlets
e.g., France 24, The Hindu — Relay Hamas’s conditional disarmament offer in a straight news style, pairing the statement with casualty tallies and cease-fire context. Heavy dependence on Hamas or Gaza health ministry figures and limited Israeli commentary can tilt coverage toward the Palestinian narrative despite a neutral tone.
Right-leaning Israeli media
e.g., Arutz Sheva, The Times of Israel — Cast the announcement as proof Hamas is under severe Israeli pressure and insist that Israel will impose demilitarization if Hamas does not comply. Frequent use of terms like “terror group” and emphasis on Israel’s right to act militarily frame Hamas’s offer as insincere and downplay prospects for a Palestinian state.