DOHA: Hamas’s disarmament as part of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza is “out of the question,” a Hamas official told AFP on Saturday.
“The proposed weapons handover is out of the question and not negotiable,” the official said.
The US president has indicated the issue of Hamas surrendering its weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan.
The 20-point plan promises amnesty to Hamas members who decommission their weapons and says they will be allowed to leave Gaza.
The Hamas official was speaking as a ceasefire holds in Gaza ahead of Monday’s 72-hour deadline for the release of Israeli hostages held since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks.
Hamas’s disarmament and the pullback of Israeli forces are seen as key sticking points for Trump’s plan despite rising hopes for the end of two years of devastating war.
Hamas official says disarmament ‘out of the question’
https://arab.news/8cevf
Hamas official says disarmament ‘out of the question’
- “The proposed weapons handover is out of the question and not negotiable,” the official said
- The 20-point plan promises amnesty to Hamas members who decommission their weapons
Jordan’s king stresses need to preserve Christian presence in Middle East
- King Abdullah II holds talks with religious leaders in Amman
LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan emphasized the importance of preserving a Christian presence in the Middle East on Monday during talks with religious leaders.
In meetings at Al-Husseiniya Palace with Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and Archimandrite Metodije of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the king called for an end to the violation of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem by Israel, which he said was seeking to change the historical and legal status quo, the Petra news agency reported.
The king reaffirmed Jordan’s religious and historical role in protecting holy sites under its Hashemite Custodianship.
Crown Prince Hussein, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the king’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs, Alaa Batayneh, director of the Office of His Majesty, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III also joined the talks, the report said.
King Abdullah stressed the need for all parties to adhere to the agreement to end the war in Gaza, ensure the flow of aid and prevent escalations in the occupied West Bank.
