Beyond Weapons: Gaza Roadmap Leaves Hamas Question Open

The roadmap published by the Peace Council on Friday presents a clear goal: one authority, one law, and one weapon in the Gaza Strip. However, a review of the document's 15 clauses reveals significant ambiguity. This allows the American administration to claim an achievement in disarming Hamas, while simultaneously allowing the organization to maintain that it has not abandoned its weapons or its so-called "resistance."

From Israel's perspective, Hamas remains a murderous terrorist organization whose charter denies Israel's very existence. Any arrangement that does not guarantee the real, measurable, and irreversible dismantling of its military power could merely serve as a lull for the organization to regroup.

Disarmament vs. Storage

A central issue is that the term "disarmament" does not appear in the roadmap. Instead, the document uses phrases like "decommissioning and storage" for heavy weaponry, production sites, and tunnels. It remains unclear whether this means the destruction of weapons or merely placing them under supervision. Stored weapons could easily return to the hands of terrorists if the monitoring mechanism weakens.

Ambiguity also surrounds personal small arms. The document does not mandate the full collection of rifles and pistols, requiring only their registration. Given that small arms were a primary tool in the October 7 massacre, this is a particularly sensitive point for Israel.

Governance and Reconstruction Risks

The issue of personnel for the new police force remains unresolved. While the document prohibits the integration of militia members into security mechanisms, it lacks an explicit ban on former Hamas operatives joining the new governing system. This creates a risk that the organization will maintain deep influence through civil institutions.

Furthermore, the reconstruction mission, estimated at over 71 billion dollars, poses financial risks. Without rigorous oversight, reconstruction funds could be diverted by Hamas to rebuild networks of loyalty and smuggle dual-use materials. Israel must insist on a rigid, continuous American supervision mechanism, including weapon tracking, warehouse monitoring, and thorough background checks for all local administration personnel. Any agreement failing to guarantee these conditions could return Israel to the dangerous reality that preceded October 7.