Disarmament and demilitarization: how could Hamas and Islamic Jihad be stripped of weapons A key litmus test for the success of President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan will entail the disarming of Hamas terrorists. Yet the raison d'être for Hamas’ existence is to wage a terrorist campaign against Israel. Hamas agreed to give up its weapons, including rockets, as part of the agreement. However, a senior Hamas official on Saturday told AFP that it rejected Trump’s demand that it decommission its weapons.
Despite these stipulations, Hamas officials said disarming Hamas is “out of the question.” On Friday, its spokesman Basem Naim told Sky News that Hamas will not disarm and will remain “on the ground.” Furthermore, the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad remains wedded to the armed destruction of the Jewish state.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Friday, “Hamas will be disarmed, and Gaza will be demilitarized. If this is achieved in the easy way – it's all for the better. And if not – it will be achieved the hard way.” The hard way, for Israel, means Israel Defense Forces targeting armed Hamas terrorists for elimination if they refuse to surrender.
Posted by Benjamin Weinthal
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/gaza-ceasefire-israel-hamas-hostage-release-october-13-2025
