Exclusive: US and Israel reject joint Palestinian proposal for Gaza after meetings
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MEE staff
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Sun, 05/03/2026 - 01:11
Palestinian factions submit document tying disarmament to statehood and security guarantees, as ceasefire talks stall
Palestinians queue for meals at a charity kitchen amid worsening food shortages in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, 2 May 2026 (Imago/APAimages via Reuters)
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Israel and the United States have rejected a paper submitted jointly by Palestinian factions, including Hamas, that links their disarmament to Palestinian statehood and security guarantees, following the latest round of negotiations over the future of Gaza.
A senior Palestinian source with knowledge of the talks told Middle East Eye that the Palestinian proposal called for negotiations over the disarmament of Hamas and other groups to be tied to the granting of political rights for the Palestinian people "within the national framework", as well as to commitments that the people of Gaza would no longer be killed.
Disagreements have deepened between the US and Israel on one side and Palestinian factions on the other after a series of meetings in Cairo and Istanbul in recent weeks. The central point of contention is the US and Israel’s insistence that Hamas and other groups disarm before a technocratic government is established in Gaza.
On Friday, Palestinian representatives handed their proposal to Egypt and Turkey, which have been mediating the talks.
On Saturday, the "mediators and the Americans both refused the Palestinian factions' paper and passed threatening messages from the Americans to the Palestinian negotiating team", the senior Palestinian source said.
Palestinian factions insist that disarmament cannot come before a political resolution that includes Palestinian statehood, while Israel and the US have framed it as a prerequisite for any durable ceasefire.
Palestinian proposal in Cairo
The development comes as Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said a delegation fronted by Khalil al-Hayya, the movement's leader in Gaza, had held meetings in Cairo with mediators and guarantor countries to discuss ways to implement the US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that came into effect last October.
The full text of the agreement, published by MEE at the time, detailed six stages to the deal, including the resumption of humanitarian aid, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to agreed-upon lines, and the formation of an international task force to implement the deal.
'The [Israeli] occupation must commit to the full and immediate implementation of its obligations as stipulated in the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement'
- Palestinian proposal
Last month, the UN reported that in the six months following the agreement, Israel had killed 738 Palestinians in Gaza.
While Israel was required by the agreement to allow in up to 600 trucks per day carrying food, fuel, medical supplies, shelter materials and commercial goods, it has not met those terms.
As the talks mediated by Egypt and Turkey hit another roadblock, MEE reviewed the proposal submitted by Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and handed to negotiators on Friday.
"The Palestinian factions appreciate the efforts of the mediators to reach a text acceptable to all parties within the framework of [US] President [Donald] Trump’s plan," it reads.
"The [Israeli] occupation must commit to the full and immediate implementation of its obligations as stipulated in the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement in full, according to an agreed-upon timetable," the document states, referring to the October agreement brokered by Trump.
The Palestinian factions also demand that Israel cease violating the October agreement, halt its expansion into the eastern half of Gaza controlled by Israel, stop strikes in the west of the enclave and allow daily humanitarian aid deliveries in line with agreed terms.
Full text of the agreement signed by Israel and Hamas to 'end the war' on Gaza
Read More »
It supports a roadmap presented by mediators on 19 April as a basis for negotiations and calls for a swift agreement, saying: "This must ensure a ceasefire between the two parties, an end to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip [and] a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip."
The factions also demanded reconstruction in Gaza, the entry of international forces, and "addressing the issue of weapons while transferring the governance of the Gaza Strip to the National Committee with all its powers".
The document states that the issue of laying down weapons would be addressed "in connection with the political rights of the Palestinian people within the national framework, and in the context of establishing necessary security arrangements based on security guarantees for both parties".
It also calls for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state and reiterates the Palestinian right to self-determination, which "mediators and all relevant parties shall work to achieve the goal stated in President Trump’s plan".
Israel mulls resumption of Gaza war
After the US-Israeli rejection of the paper, Israeli media reported that the country's security cabinet is scheduled to meet on Sunday to discuss renewing the war in Gaza.
“Hamas is not standing by the agreement on disarmament. We are holding discussions with mediators,” an Israeli official told the Kan public broadcaster on Saturday evening.
In March, Nickolay Mladenov, who is leading Trump’s "Board of Peace", held weeks of talks with Hamas leaders and gave the group until 11 April to begin gradually handing over its weapons.
'Hamas is not standing by the agreement on disarmament. We are holding discussions with mediators'
- Israeli official
The former Bulgarian foreign minister's initial mandate was to oversee the transition in Gaza from Hamas rule to a new technocratic administration led by Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister.
A disarmament proposal presented to Hamas by mediators in Cairo required all armed groups in Gaza to surrender their weapons within 90 days.
It called for Hamas to hand over heavy weaponry, such as missiles and rocket launchers, in addition to maps of its tunnel network. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also insisted that members of Palestinian factions relinquish their personal arms.
However, Palestinian negotiators say statehood and self-determination must coincide with security arrangements, adding that continued Israeli violations have undermined confidence in the ceasefire process. These include ongoing military operations and delays in implementing agreed humanitarian measures.
The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 72,000 people, with thousands missing and presumed to be buried under rubble.
Nearly 200 days after the ceasefire that was supposed to end its genocidal war, Israel's military presence has expanded in Gaza beyond previously agreed areas, with the emergence of an “orange line” extending beyond the “yellow line” set out in the ceasefire terms.
Under the agreement, the “yellow line” marked a division between eastern areas under Israeli control and western zones where Palestinians could remain, covering about 53 percent of the territory.
Reports say Israeli forces have moved beyond that boundary into deeper parts of Gaza, altering the security and geographic landscape on the ground.
Israel's genocide in Gaza
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