We tell Hamas to consider handing over its weapons because there have been enough martyrs.
Along the fractured edges of a ceasefire that was never fully at peace, Israel and Hamas have arrived at an impasse that may define the next chapter of Gaza's long suffering. The dispute over weapons disarmament — each side demanding the other act first — reflects not merely a tactical disagreement but a collision of existential calculations: one side unwilling to lay down arms while under fire, the other unwilling to withdraw while those arms remain. With over 846 lives lost since the ceasefire began and more than two million people still displaced, the distance between a negotiated future and renewed war has rarely felt so narrow.
- The killing of Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya's son in an Israeli air strike has shattered what little trust remained in already fragile talks, pushing both sides toward the edge of renewed conflict.
- Israel demands Hamas disarm before any peace plan advances; Hamas refuses to surrender weapons while Israeli strikes continue and humanitarian obligations from the original ceasefire go unmet — a deadlock neither side shows signs of breaking.
- At least 846 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took hold, and residents like Samah in Gaza City voice raw exhaustion, pleading for Hamas to consider disarmament so that ordinary life might resume.
- Israeli media and unnamed security sources report that a resumption of military operations may be authorized, with expansion of the Israeli-controlled Yellow Line — already covering 60 percent of Gaza — said to be underway.
- International mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey are pressing Hamas hard, while Gulf donors warn they will not fund reconstruction unless disarmament conditions are met, tying the territory's economic future to the outcome of these stalled talks.
The ceasefire that took hold in Gaza on October 10th is unraveling. An Israeli air strike killed the son of Hamas's chief negotiator, marking a turning point in talks that were already deeply strained. Palestinian sources confirmed to the BBC what Israeli media had begun reporting: the two sides have reached a deadlock they may not recover from.
The core dispute is stark. Israel insists Hamas must surrender its weapons before any peace plan moves forward. Hamas refuses to disarm while Israeli military operations continue and while Israel has not fulfilled its humanitarian obligations under the original Sharm el-Sheikh agreement. Each side accuses the other of violating the deal, and negotiations have stalled entirely. An Israeli government adviser told the BBC that while "nobody in Israel wants to go back to war," all options remain on the table — including expanding the Yellow Line, the boundary marking roughly 60 percent of Gaza already under full Israeli military control.
The human cost since the ceasefire began has been severe: at least 846 people killed, more than two million residents still displaced. In Gaza City, a displaced woman named Samah captured the exhaustion of those caught in the middle. "We tell Hamas to consider handing over its weapons," she said. "There have been enough martyrs. Let people live. We are exhausted."
Underneath the disarmament dispute lies a deeper argument about which agreement governs the situation. Hamas holds to the October ceasefire's first phase; Israel has moved to Trump's broader 20-point plan, endorsed by the UN Security Council, and insists on advancing directly to its disarmament provisions. Hamas has engaged with the plan but not formally accepted it, and its specific demands — an end to shelling, increased aid, rubble clearance, expanded access through Rafah — remain unmet.
Meanwhile, Hamas appears to be reasserting governance in Gaza despite pledging to hand authority to a new technocratic committee, reactivating its police force and imposing new taxes. Gulf donors have made clear they will not fund reconstruction without conditions that prevent a return to fighting. Regional mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey are pressing hard, but the fundamental impasse holds: neither side is willing to take the first step the other demands.
The ceasefire that took hold in Gaza on October 10th is coming apart. This week, an Israeli air strike killed Azzam al-Hayya, the son of Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas's chief negotiator. The killing marked a turning point in already fractured talks between Israel and Hamas, and Palestinian sources confirmed to the BBC what Israeli media had begun reporting: the two sides have reached a deadlock they may not recover from.
The core dispute is straightforward but seemingly unbridgeable. Israel insists that Hamas must disarm—surrender its rockets, explosives, and assault rifles—as a precondition for moving forward with any peace plan. Hamas refuses to lay down weapons while Israeli military operations continue in Gaza and while Israel has not fulfilled its humanitarian obligations under the original ceasefire agreement signed in Sharm el-Sheikh. Each side accuses the other of violating the deal. Israel points to Hamas's refusal to disarm. Hamas points to ongoing Israeli air strikes, military incursions, and restrictions on aid flowing into the territory. The result is a negotiation that has stalled entirely.
Michael Eisenberg, an adviser to the Israeli prime minister, told the BBC that Israel understood from the start that Hamas would not voluntarily give up its weapons, and that the group has now "followed through on their intentions." He called Hamas "an unrepentant terrorist group" and said that while "nobody in Israel wants to go back to war," all options are currently on the table. Israeli media outlets citing unnamed security sources have reported that the United States may authorize Israel to resume military operations. One specific option under consideration is expanding the so-called Yellow Line—a boundary marking roughly 60 percent of Gaza that has remained under full Israeli military control throughout the ceasefire. Residents of Gaza say this expansion is already underway.
The humanitarian toll since the ceasefire began has been severe. At least 846 people, including many women and children, have been killed in Gaza according to the Hamas-run health ministry. More than two million residents remain displaced. In Gaza City, a woman named Samah, displaced from her home, expressed exhaustion with the cycle of violence. "Honestly, I say enough war," she said. "We hope that the war doesn't resume. There are still attacks until now. We tell Hamas to consider handing over its weapons because there have been enough martyrs and there's been enough of the siege. Let people live. We are exhausted." Her neighbor, Abu Firas al-Jidi, warned that while international attention has turned toward conflicts in Iran and Lebanon, Gaza faces a serious risk of sliding back into full-scale fighting.
The disagreement over disarmament masks a deeper dispute about which ceasefire agreement actually governs the situation. Hamas continues to reference the October agreement signed in Sharm el-Sheikh, which focused on the first phase of a ceasefire. Israel has accepted President Trump's more comprehensive 20-point peace plan, which was endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution. Hamas has engaged with Trump's plan but has not formally accepted it in full. According to Palestinian officials familiar with recent negotiations in Cairo, Israel is insisting on moving directly to the second phase of Trump's plan—which centers on disarmament—before completing the obligations of the first phase. Hamas's specific demands include an end to Israeli shelling and military operations, increased humanitarian aid, temporary housing units, heavy equipment to clear rubble, and expanded access for Palestinian patients and travelers through Egypt's Rafah Crossing.
Israel maintains that it is already exceeding its aid commitments and that the distinction between phase one and phase two is "an invention of Hamas." Eisenberg stated flatly that "Hamas must disarm, demilitarise, and deradicalise. That's the future of Gaza according to the 20-point plan." In March, Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace, laid out a detailed disarmament plan and warned that refusal could lead to renewed war. This week, Mladenov told Israel's i24 news channel that donors—particularly Gulf countries with significant financial commitments—would not fund Gaza's reconstruction unless conditions existed to prevent a return to fighting, and that included the decommissioning of weapons.
Meanwhile, signs suggest Hamas is reasserting control over Gaza's governance despite having pledged to hand authority to a new 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee. The group has reactivated its police force and traders report that it is imposing new taxes on goods and services. Under Trump's plan, an international stabilization force is supposed to enter Gaza to work alongside a new Palestinian police force, with Hamas explicitly excluded from any future governance role. Regional mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey are currently exerting heavy pressure on Hamas to move forward on disarmament, but the fundamental impasse remains: neither side appears willing to take the first step the other demands.
Notable Quotes
Nobody in Israel wants to go back to war, but all options are on the table right now.— Michael Eisenberg, adviser to the Israeli prime minister
We tell Hamas to consider handing over its weapons because there have been enough martyrs and there's been enough of the siege. Let people live. We are exhausted.— Samah, a displaced mother in Gaza City
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does disarmament matter so much to Israel if the ceasefire is already in place?
Because Israel sees the ceasefire as temporary. Without Hamas giving up its weapons, Israel believes the group could rebuild and attack again. For Israel, disarmament is the only way to make the ceasefire permanent.
But Hamas won't disarm while Israeli operations continue. How does that get resolved?
That's the deadlock. Hamas sees disarmament as surrender—giving up their leverage before Israel has fully withdrawn and before reconstruction begins. They want proof first that Israel will actually leave and rebuild.
So both sides are waiting for the other to move first?
Exactly. Israel says Hamas must disarm before phase two begins. Hamas says Israel must complete its phase one obligations—stop operations, increase aid, allow reconstruction—before weapons come off the table.
What happens if neither side budges?
That's what everyone fears. Israeli media is already reporting preparations to resume fighting. The Yellow Line—the territory Israel controls—could expand. And with over two million people already displaced, another war would be catastrophic.
Is there any pressure on Hamas to compromise?
Yes. Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey are pushing hard. And the international community has made clear that reconstruction funding depends on lasting peace, which means disarmament. But Hamas is also reasserting control over Gaza's governance, which suggests they're preparing for the ceasefire to fail.
What's the role of Trump's 20-point plan in all this?
It's become the framework Israel accepts, but Hamas hasn't formally agreed to it. The plan explicitly excludes Hamas from future governance and requires disarmament linked to Israeli withdrawal. It's more comprehensive than the original October agreement, but that's part of the problem—Hamas and Israel are arguing about which agreement actually applies.