The US.State Department has stated that the demilitarization of Hamas remains the main obstacle to the implementation of the American peace plan for the Gaza Strip.
This position was released in response to reports that the group would attempt to include approximately 10,000 of its members in a new U.S.-backed governing body.
According to a department spokesperson, Hamas needs to demilitarize because it agreed to accept the so-called 20-Point Plan.
Discussions on how to move forward on this point are ongoing, and the United States hopes to overcome this difficulty.
Demilitarization, according to the official explanation, means that Hamas will no longer be able to pose a threat to either Israel or the population of the Gaza Strip itself.
Recent reports indicate that many of the group’s members are already patrolling the region, while Hamas attempts to maintain or regain influence in the areas under its control.
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced that complete disarmament is essential: this includes dismantling all weapons still in the possession of the remaining fighters and destroying the tunnels used by the group.
He emphasizes that as long as Hamas remains armed, no civilian alternative can effectively operate in Gaza, since the weapons serve both to attack Israel and to control and intimidate the Palestinians themselves.
Netanyahu also made it clear that there will be no permanent presence in the Gaza Strip before the completion of total disarmament and demilitarization.
He rejected ideas such as the entry of forces from other countries or the immediate creation of a Palestinian state in the region, stating that the next stage of the plan focuses precisely on this resolution of military capacity, and that this will occur, whether through negotiation or not.
On the Hamas side, the group’s leaders publicly resisted these criteria, arguing that maintaining weapons is a right of resistance and protection for the Palestinian people.
In summary, although the American plan envisions a transition to a temporary technical administration, followed by guidance, everything depends on overcoming this critical point: making Hamas cease to be an armed force.
Published in 01/29/2026 09h00
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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