Egypt Offers Hamas Weapons-Custody Deal Again
Published
Egypt again proposed Thursday evening that the Hamas terror organization transfer its weapons to Egyptian custody as a deposit instead of immediate dismantlement. Senior Egyptian officials raised the formula during Cairo talks with a senior Hamas delegation to move the next stage of President Trump's Gaza plan, while an Egyptian source said Hamas is not showing flexibility and is dragging out the talks. A day earlier, Cairo discussions focused on a weapons-storage formula, the Board of Peace and an international stabilization force. For Israel, any custody formula is useful only if it verifiably removes rockets, tunnels and armed Hamas control from Gaza.
Sources
Difference in reporting
Sources agree that Cairo talks with a senior Hamas delegation focused on an Egyptian weapons-storage or custody formula tied to disarmament, President Trump's Gaza plan, the Board of Peace and a possible international stabilization force. They factually diverge on Hamas's posture: Kan and Emess report that an Egyptian source said Hamas is not showing flexibility and is dragging out the talks, while Israel Hayom and VIN quote an earlier Egyptian source saying Hamas was taking positive steps and had authority to decide, even as disagreements remained.
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