Arab world tells Hamas to lay down arms and end rule of Gaza

[Twiglets1]

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for the Palestinian terror group to disband on Tuesday, the first time they have done so.

They joined 14 other countries, including Britain and France, in signing a statement that also condemned the Oct 7 terror attacks and told Hamas to give up power.

It is the first time Arab countries have condemned the group and demanded it play no part in the future governance of Palestine.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” reads the declaration, which was produced after a conference at the United Nations.

By signing the statement, the Arab nations also demanded the release of all remaining Israeli hostages.

“Only by ending the war in Gaza, releasing all hostages, ending occupation, rejecting violence and terror, realising an independent, sovereign, and democratic Palestinian State, ending the occupation of all Arab territories and providing solid security guarantees for Israel and Palestine, can normal relations and coexistence among the region’s peoples and States be achieved,” it reads.

The text, which was also signed by Canada and other Western nations, also supports a two-state solution and the deployment of foreign forces to Gaza when the war ends.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/07/29/arab-world-tells-hamas-lay-down-arms-end-rule-gaza/

Or disarm.

They have offered to cede control of the Gaza strip.

They haven't offered to disband or remove their objective of destruction of the state of Israel.

Can you point to where they agreed to disarm? Its all pointless if they get all their terrorist fighters out of jail and don't completely disarm.

They didn’t. Disarmament will no doubt be difficult.

But it’s good to see the West and Arab nations come together and set out a road map for peace. If only they could have done it a year ago.

Hamas could be forced into exile by Arab states

Israel’s long and bloody war in Gaza has left Hamas so enfeebled that Arab officials believe there is now a “golden opportunity” to deliver a final blow.

That opportunity lies behind the New York Declaration, signed this week by Turkey, Arab League members, the EU, Britain and others, which denounces the Oct 7 massacre and demands an end to Hamas rule in Gaza.

Most of Hamas’s leadership has been killed, its government barely functions, with Israeli forces controlling 70 per cent of Gaza and clan militias, armed by Israel, contesting much of the rest.

Fragmented fighting units aside, Hamas cannot fight pitched battles or strike inside Israel. It is thought that support among Gaza’s population has dropped to around 6 per cent.

Removing Hamas could turn a devastating crisis, with more than 60,000 dead and much of Gaza reduced to rubble, into a chance not just to end the war but to revive hopes of solving the Palestinian question.

If Hamas relinquishes power and its surviving leaders go into exile, one of the two main obstacles to peace – the other being the release of the remaining hostages – would be removed.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/07/30/hamas-could-be-forced-into-exile-by-arab-states/

From the same article:

Qatar and Turkey are central to this strategy. Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political leadership and channelled more than £1.3bn to its administration in Gaza with US and Israeli approval.

Those payments stopped after Oct 7 but Qatar retains leverage: it could threaten to expel Hamas leaders from their comfortable villas in the northern suburbs of Doha.

Turkey, where many Hamas leaders have second homes, could also deny them refuge.

Officials said both countries were conveying such threats to the group with increasing urgency. Earlier this month, Qatar ordered Hamas leaders to hand in their personal weapons in a bid to increase pressure.

Iran, which has both funded and armed Hamas in the past, remains an option, but many Hamas figures, as Sunnis, are reluctant to tie themselves too closely to a Shia power. The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran last year also demonstrates that targets in Iran are not beyond Israel’s reach.

Losing such boltholes would trap Hamas inside Gaza, making exile a more attractive choice and giving its leaders a chance to regroup.

While Hamas’s leaders may leave, most of its estimated 40,000 fighters – many newly recruited and poorly trained – would most likely stay behind. They are expected to hand their weapons to an interim administration that would be formed in Gaza under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority, which is based in the West Bank, recognises Israel and has condemned Hamas.

Further, if the war ends then I believe Netanyahu and his extremist buddies would be unelectable, so thats another roadblock to peace ( and a Palestinian state ) removed.

The best thing Hamas can do for everyday Palestinians is just go.

I firmly believe its better for Palestinians i Hamas go than a ceasefire with them still in place.

Theres a roadmap to peace that starts with the absolute end of Hamas.

I agree with you - Netanyahu wouldn't be re-elected and that's another roadblock to peace removed as you say.

Above everything else, Hamas have to go! They would have agreed to this already if they cared about the Palestinians at all.

Updated 4:44 PM BST, April 25, 2024
Share
ISTANBUL (AP) — A top Hamas political official told The Associated Press the Islamic militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders.

https://apnews.com/article/hamas-khalil-alhayya-qatar-ceasefire-1967-borders-4912532b11a9cec29464eab234045438

Its been a political party ( with a military wing ) since 2005. Utter BS.

And a truce of 5 years? A truce? Then war begins again?

Hamas has got to go. I hope Israel don't accept this.

There's no pleasing some people.

On the contrary, I've many times said what would please me.

Hamas surrender, return hostages, disarm, disband, go into exile, preferably humiliated in some way and with no access to the internet.

Israel ceasefire after this, the war ends.

BN forced to face up to his legal issues, with no war to galvanise the public, loses the election next year, extremists in Israel no longer have such a loud voice in power.

Both sides elect moderates commited to a peace process.

Palestinians make a constitution allowing the right for Israel to exist.

Hard negotiations begin.

Borders are decided. Settlers pulled back from Palestinian land. A state is declared and recognized.

After 50 - 100 years of peacefully living next door, gentle integration can begin, and all live relatively happy ever after.

Thats what would please me.

Hamas have no part of it at all.

A top Hamas political official told The Associated Press the Islamic militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders.

So Hamas still in charge of Gaza? And the rockets resume after five years, that's if you believe them, which I don't.
I'll be surprised if Israel agrees to that.

There's no pleasing some people.

It's not feasible for Hamas to remain. I doubt Saudi etc would cough up reconstruction money if they did. It would just be a permawar, with further cycles of violence.

I'm genuinely amazed that the people who claim to be supporters of Palestinians aren't the ones pushing hardest of all for Hamas to go.

I'm not amazed.

Agree wrt Saudi.

I agree that whilst Hamas going might be the most desirable of options, the Realpolitik of the situation is that they might have to remain in some form or other. Having the "Elimination of Hamas" as an imperative for Israel is what has caused the misery that currently pertains in Gaza. It's not working, it won't work and pursuance of this impossible aim will just result in more death and destruction. Another route needs to be found.

@mouthpipette I ask this in all seriousness, not as a gotcha, but why would we think that Hamas (in whatever form) will now accept the existence of the State of Israel, and will refrain from mass terror attacks? What will have changed? It's not like they're going to be any less hostile to Israel after the last couple of years.

My view is that Gaza as a society needs to be deradicalised in order to leave peacefully alongside a majority-Jewish neighbour. Would Hamas do a 180 and facilitate that? It seems unlikely.

How will things be any different or any better than 6 October 2023?

The other issue is the recognition now being talked about of Palestine as a state. That's not just Gaza, that's the West Bank. So who is running that then?

Speaking bluntly, after Hamas did 7 October and promised to do it again and again, I think its wilfully naive to allow them to remain in any shape or form. I can't believe anyone would suggest they could remain tbh.

5 years of peace is not good enough. No country will invest in rebuilding Gaza for it all to be destroyed again 5 years later or however long it takes until Hamas felt like attacking Israel again.

Hamas needs to be exiled from Gaza, if any other country would take them.

They would be the most vocal about Hamas having to go if they were genuinely concerned about the long term welfare of Palestinians.

I'm confused, you didn't seem to have a problem with Israel's proposals of a cease-fire of 1-2 months (which they said they'd use to build a concentration camp for Gazans). How can it be wrong to refuse a cease-fire of 1-2 months but not of 5 years?

That was a proposal for a temporary ceasefire so that humanitarian aid come safely come into Gaza while talks were ongoing for a permanent ceasefire.

This proposal is for a 5 year truce and doesn't involve Hamas leaving.

Hamas leaders have to be exiled - don't you think?

Speaking bluntly, after Hamas did 7 October and promised to do it again and again, I think its wilfully naive to allow them to remain in any shape or form. I can't believe anyone would suggest they could remain tbh. @dairydebris

You have to distinguish between the Hamas Gung-ho rhetoric, aimed at bolstering their standing with their home audience and the reality of what they can actually achieve. Hamas are now heavily denuded, they can do little of consequence that can threaten Israel and are unlikely to be able do so in the near future. Remember they are up against one of the world's best equipped and best trained fighting forces. Added to that there is a world that more or less lets Israel get on with it. They really don't have much of a problem... apart from sourcing new munitions at a rate equal to or faster than that at which they are firing them off.

So another October 7 is not a reality. Israel has learned that it cannot allow it's border to be so weak and in future it will be relatively easy to guard against a repeat of the obscenity of that day.

Israel should stop looking for bloody retribution and instead seek peace. Recognition of a Palestinian state would be a good start.

Hamas and Israeli leaders both need to face justice by the international criminal court.

Hamas are descipable. As is the Israeli government which has done it's own 7/10 almost 50 times over. If the Palestinian people need to rise up against Hamas, then do so the ordinary Israeli people against the genocidal racist government they voted in.