On October 9 (local time), the Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed that it had received guarantees for the permanent end of the Gaza war from the countries mediating the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.
According to the Associated Press and other sources, Khalil Al-Hayya, who leads Hamas's ceasefire negotiation delegation, stated, "This agreement will end the war, open the main border crossing to Egypt, and secure the release of all Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israel."
He also said that all 250 long-term Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, as well as 1,700 people detained since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, would be released. He did not provide details regarding the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
However, The New York Times pointed out that in his speech, he did not address potential obstacles to the agreement, such as whether Hamas would be willing to disarm or allow international forces to play a role in stabilizing the region.
On the same day, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said, "No Palestinian will accept disarmament," and added, "Palestinians need weapons and resistance," according to Reuters.
The United States, Israel, and others are demanding that Hamas disarm, but Hamas has stated that it cannot agree to disarmament, raising concerns that the implementation of the agreement may not proceed smoothly. The first stage of the peace plan agreed upon by Israel and Hamas includes an immediate ceasefire and the exchange and release of hostages and prisoners. The second stage, which aims for permanent peace, includes provisions for Hamas's disarmament. However, if Hamas refuses, there is a possibility that the ceasefire could collapse.
President Trump, after Israel and Hamas agreed on the first stage of the peace plan, commented on what the second stage would entail by saying, "We will disarm them," and added, "A lot will happen."
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