For Hamas, disarmament is a euphemism. If Hamas were interested in the welfare of Gaza, it would have disarmed, by itself, long ago.
What is disarmament?
An Israeli meets a Hamas operative. Nothing happens. That’s disarmament.
That is not how Hamas understands disarmament. For Hamas, disarmament is a euphemism. It means: We will say we will do what we told President Donald Trump we will do.
But we won’t do it. Because our raison d’etre is the death of Israel or, lacking that, the death of Israelis.
So what do we do? We say we will give up major weapons while we demand the right to “personal” weapons and, in the meantime, hide major weapons in tunnels and redefine the nature of “personal weapons” as major upgrades thereof.
Not to mention, all of the above pertains only to those Hamas operatives who say they will disarm. Many Hamas leaders say openly they will never disarm.
The Trump administration is upset that Israel continues to kill Hamas operatives who are planning to harm Israelis. That is the only truly disarmed Hamas operative.
If it were peace that Hamas sought, it would not have attacked Israel on Oct. 7; and then, when its forces were severely diminished by Israel, it would not have continued to fight. It would have surrendered.
Keep the sequence straight. There is only a ceasefire in Gaza, as of Oct. 10, 2025, not a peace agreement; and only because Trump demanded one. Not because either Israel or Hamas wanted one. Israel wanted to kill every Hamas operative, and Hamas didn’t care, so long as it could keeping killing Israelis, albeit in reduced numbers. And so long as it continued to gain favor among — to use Lenin’s term — the “useless idiots” of the world, which it continues to do, not least among a new cadre running for seats in Congress.
We supported the Oct. 10 ceasefire because Israel, its troops, its society, its leaders, its image, needed a respite from war; and because the ceasefire did leave Hamas occupying only half the territory it occupied before Oct. 7. That was a significant victory for Israel.
We also supported the ceasefire because it finally ended the hostage nightmare that had plagued Israel, the Jewish people and humanists everywhere for more than two years.
The only person who believed in the two main conditions of the ceasefire — Israeli withdrawal from the half of Gaza it won in a war it did not start, and Hamas’ disarmament — was Donald Trump.
In his trademark capital letters, Trump (pardon the pun) still trumpets Hamas’ agreement to disarm, as if Hamas ever intended to. Here is the giveaway (if one were needed): Hamas casts its current demand to retain “personal” weapons as a perfectly reasonable expectation for a force that would need to keep order in Gaza.
As if Hamas’ continued rule of Gaza were a given.
As if, since 2007, Hamas had won an election in Gaza.
As if Hamas ever intended to turn Gaza over to Palestinian technocrats to run the area.
As if Hamas commanded the allegiance of Gazans.
As if Hamas did not show its true colors after the ceasefire by publicly executing political opponents.
As if Hamas has been good for Gaza.
As if, since the Oct. 10, 2025 ceasefire, Hamas has instituted democratic reforms in Gaza.
As if Hamas has ceased to plan terror attacks against Israelis.
As if Hamas has ever expressed regret for its violent attacks of Oct. 7.
No, Hamas has no right to rule Gaza and therefore no right to, or need for, “personal” weapons.
If Donald Trump is serious about his Board of Peace in Gaza, he will not only disarm Hamas but expel Hamas from Gaza. As bad as Hamas has been for Israel, it has been worse for the Arabs in Gaza.
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Is this putting the entire onus on Hamas? Is it right to expect Hamas to recognize Israel while Israel is killing Hamas terrorists? Doesn’t Israel have to be forthcoming, too?
Those questions are best answered by Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Morocco. For there to be peace between these Arab countries and Israel, all they had to do was to say: We recognize Israel’s right to exist.
That solved everything. That opened the door. That revolutionized the Middle East. That put an end to all the tortured, convoluted diplomatic back-and-forth.
That is exactly what Hamas says it will never do — give up its forever war against Israel. The only reason why Israel must continue to kill Hamas terrorists, and why Hamas keeps playing games as to what type of weapons it must retain, and why Hamas says that Israel must take the first step (withdrawing before Hamas disarms)is the simple, plain step that Hamas won’t take: recognizing Israel.
If Hamas ever does, all the rest will fall into place.
The ball now, as always, is in Hamas’ court.
© IJN 2026
