IDF Expects Hamas to 'Soon Enter Disarmament Process' Despite Cairo Talks Failure

On April 18, 2026 — the day after the Hamas-US Cairo talks collapsed without progress — the IDF stated it expects Hamas to 'soon enter the disarmament process,' despite Hamas's formal rejection of the Board of Peace disarmament plan on April 14. The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF's timeline envisions Hamas beginning to hand over heavy weapons — including rockets, drones, anti-tank missiles — and provide maps of the Gaza terror tunnel network within weeks. The IDF's public posture stood in sharp contrast to Hamas's stated position, which categorically rejects disarmament without a guaranteed end to Israeli military presence and progress toward Palestinian statehood. The disconnect reflected the fundamental impasse that has prevented any progress on Phase Two of the ceasefire framework: the Board of Peace and US officials pressing for disarmament as a prerequisite for reconstruction and withdrawal, while Hamas and its armed wing insisting this amounts to unconditional surrender. Analysts noted that absent a dramatic shift by either Hamas or the Israeli coalition, the ceasefire risked a slow collapse through accumulating violations rather than a dramatic breakdown — a pattern already documented with 2,400+ Gaza Government Media Office-reported Israeli violations and 14 Hamas violations per the IDF.