Board of Peace Mediators Submit Formal Written Disarmament Proposal to Hamas

According to Haaretz, the Board of Peace and international mediators formally submitted a written disarmament proposal to Hamas on March 20 as Eid al-Fitr began. The phased plan called for Hamas to surrender heavy weapons — rockets, missile launchers, and tunnel infrastructure maps — within the first 90 days, followed by gradual collection of lighter arms over a period of up to eight months. A financial 'buy-back' scheme incentivizing armed fighters to surrender personal weapons was part of the package. The proposal conditioned the unlocking of the $17+ billion Board of Peace reconstruction fund on Hamas compliance. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal had previously stated Hamas would not disarm while Gaza remained under occupation. Arab officials briefed by the mediators expected Hamas to issue a formal counteroffer within days.