Negotiations in Cairo between Hamas and mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey have made progress in recent days, amid indications that the parties are nearing an understanding on the weapons held by Palestinian factions in Gaza.

The discussions center on a proposal presented by Nikolay Mladenov, the former United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, concerning the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

According to the reports, negotiators have reached broad agreement on the wording of a mechanism for handling faction weapons. The proposal would not require Hamas or other armed groups in Gaza to surrender their weapons. Instead, responsibility for supervising them would be transferred to Palestinian security forces linked to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

The technocratic committee would administer the territory during the transitional period. The proposed arrangements also include the committee’s entry into Gaza and the deployment of international forces to assist with security and administrative measures.

Hamas had previously rejected an earlier disarmament formula proposed by Mladenov, considering it one of the main unresolved issues in the negotiations.

The talks form part of the U.S. plan for post-war Gaza, which includes increased humanitarian assistance, the establishment of a Palestinian civilian administration, Hamas relinquishing its weapons and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. However, the plan has faced several obstacles since the October 2025 ceasefire agreement.

Concerns Over an International Force

Israel’s security establishment has warned that deploying an international stabilization force in Gaza could restrict the Israeli military’s freedom of action and provide Hamas with an opportunity to rebuild its capabilities.

The warning followed the Israeli security cabinet’s approval of legal immunity for the force ahead of its planned deployment to designated areas of Gaza.

Israeli political and security officials say the United States is pressing Israel to proceed with Gaza’s reconstruction before disarmament is completed and Hamas is fully stripped of its military capabilities.

Israeli security agencies argue that deploying the international force at this stage could limit the military’s ability to operate against armed factions. Other officials maintain that any future international arrangements must include strict monitoring mechanisms.

Israel is estimated to control around 64 percent of the Gaza Strip, while most of its population of nearly two million people remains concentrated in a narrow coastal area, living in temporary tents or war-damaged buildings.

The conflict, which began in October 2023, has caused widespread destruction and killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza.