United with Israel Staff

A new report suggests the Trump administration is exploring a phased disarmament framework for Hamas that would allow the terror group to temporarily retain small arms while surrendering weapons capable of striking Israel — a proposal likely to draw scrutiny in Jerusalem.

According to The New York Times, the plan under discussion would require Hamas to give up rockets, long-range capabilities, and other weapons systems that threaten Israeli territory, while allowing it to keep limited personal firearms during an initial stage of the process.

The report cited officials familiar with the draft, stressing that the framework is not yet finalized and may change before being formally presented to Hamas leadership.

The proposal was reportedly developed by White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and former UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov, who now serves as director-general of the Board of Peace.

Slides presented by Kushner last month in Davos distinguished between weapons that would need to be “decommissioned immediately” and smaller arms that would be “registered and decommissioned” later.

But for many in Israel, the distinction raises fundamental concerns. Hamas is not a conventional political actor but a U.S.-designated terrorist organization that has repeatedly used ceasefires to regroup and rearm.

Allowing the group to retain any weapons, even temporarily, risks entrenching its authority in Gaza and undermining Israel’s core demand: that Hamas be stripped of its military capacity altogether.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on the report. However, Israeli officials have consistently insisted that meaningful demilitarization must include the dismantling of Hamas’ military infrastructure and the elimination of its ability to threaten Israeli civilians.

The White House signaled that the ultimate expectation remains full disarmament. Spokesman Dylan Johnson said President Donald Trump expects Hamas to disarm in line with the 20-point peace framework accepted in October.

“The United States is working closely with all parties and mediators to ensure full implementation of the plan and to advance a durable security framework that supports long-term stability in the region and prosperity for Gaza,” he said.