Hamas said it will only begin disarming if Netanyahu publicly commits to plan, says diplomat

Hamas officials told senior US adviser Jared Kushner that they will only begin implementing the Board of Peace’s disarmament plan if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly commits to adhering to its terms as well, an Arab diplomat tells The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu has publicly come out against the proposal, and is unlikely to shift his position ahead of the October 27 Knesset election.

The Board of Peace is hoping that coaxing Netanyahu to quietly restore a halt on IDF strikes in Gaza will be sufficient enough to allow for Hamas to begin handing over its weapons, but the Arab diplomat says the terror group is unlikely to do so without a public announcement from the Israeli premier in which he expresses support for the disarmament plan.

Kushner has landed in Israel following his meetings in Egypt, and is slated to meet Netanyahu tomorrow.