Hamas Proposes Limited Disarmament of Internal Security Forces as Tensions Over Gaza Control Mount

Hamas officials propose handing over internal security weapons to the NCAG but refuse to commit to full disarmament of its military wing, defying U.S. demands.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 20, 2026, 3:20 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Limited Weapons Handover Proposed for Gazan Police

In a significant but limited diplomatic maneuver, two Hamas officials confirmed on April 20, 2026, that the organization is prepared to surrender a portion of its arsenal. The proposal involves turning over thousands of automatic rifles and secondary equipment currently held by Hamas-run internal security agencies and civil police forces. These weapons would be transferred to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the technocratic governing body established under U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative. However, the offer notably excludes the group's most potent assets, framing the gesture as a transition of civil authority rather than a full military capitulation.

Standoff Over Heavy Weaponry and Rocket Arsenals

The limited scope of the offer has immediately drawn scrutiny from international mediators, as it falls far short of the total decommissioning sought by the West. Both Washington and Jerusalem have maintained that any permanent settlement must include the verified destruction of Hamas’s heavy weapons, long-range rockets, and anti-tank missiles. While Hamas officials expressed a willingness to cooperate with the NCAG on administrative matters, they remained pointedly silent when asked if the committee would be permitted to seize hardware belonging to the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, the group’s elite military wing. This ambiguity suggests that Hamas intends to retain its core combat capabilities despite the administrative shift.

The Role of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza

The NCAG, led by Chief Commissioner Ali Shaath, is a panel of independent Palestinian technocrats tasked with managing Gaza’s day-to-day operations following two years of intensive conflict. Under the 20-point peace plan unveiled in late 2025, the committee is meant to operate under the principle of "one authority, one law, one weapon." Hamas’s current proposal to hand over only police-grade equipment challenges this mandate, as it would leave the NCAG as a civilian administrator shadowed by a still-armed paramilitary force. This structural tension remains a primary obstacle to the deployment of the planned International Stabilization Force (ISF).