Sources downplay reported breakthrough in Hamas disarmament talks

Neither Washington nor Israel has received official notice of any decision reached by Hamas and mediators in Cairo on a disarmament deal, a source familiar with the status of the negotiations tells The Times of Israel, following reports on Tuesday that said the sides had agreed on a draft proposal under which the group would hand over its weapons in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The source adds that complications are expected down the road, pointing to remarks by Palestinian officials to AFP on Tuesday that “clearly differing visions” persist, with weapons remaining “the most contentious issue,” and that progress will depend on Israel and the mediators.

A second source from one of the mediating countries says that “Hamas still insists on the full implementation of the first stage [before agreeing to disarmament]: stopping strikes, allowing more aid and more free movement at the crossings.”

Israel and Hamas have each blamed the other for the current impasse in advancing Washington’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. Israel has demanded Hamas’s complete disarmament before further progress under the plan, which envisions a full Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza — of which Israel currently controls roughly 60 percent — only in the long term, while Hamas accuses Israel of failing to honor its commitments under the first stage of the plan, particularly on humanitarian matters.