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Hamas is prepared to relinquish thousands of automatic rifles and other weapons belonging to its police force and internal security services in Gaza, according to a New York Times report citing two senior Hamas officials.
This would mark a significant concession by the group during talks over Gaza's future governance and a possible permanent ceasefire.
The officials said Hamas would be willing to transfer those weapons to the Palestinian administrative committee set up to govern Gaza by the Board of Peace, the international organization led by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee the ceasefire.
The proposal, however, falls short of Israeli and U.S. demands for the full disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza.
According to the report, the weapons Hamas is prepared to surrender belong to its police force and other internal security services in Gaza.
The group has previously said it was ready to hand over responsibility for public services in Gaza to the U.S.-backed administrative committee, but it has not dismantled its battalions of armed fighters.
The two officials did not give a clear answer when asked whether the committee would also be able to confiscate weapons belonging to Hamas's military wing.
The reported offer does not meet the core Israeli and U.S. demand for the full disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza.
Trump's peace plan for Gaza calls for Hamas to be removed from power, barred from any governing role and disarmed in exchange for an Israeli troop withdrawal and the reconstruction of large parts of the territory destroyed in the war.
Experts cited in the report said Hamas's military wing is believed to hold far more weapons than its police force, including tens of thousands of automatic rifles as well as heavier weapons such as anti-tank rockets.
The two Gaza-based officials from Hamas' political leadership responded in writing to questions from The New York Times and spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Their comments came as Hamas and the Board of Peace officials were holding negotiations in Cairo this past week.
Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas officials in Gaza have rarely spoken to international media, partly out of concern that Israel could intercept communications and use the information to locate and target them.
Instead, Hamas leaders in Qatar, Türkiye and Lebanon have generally spoken on behalf of the group, although the Gaza-based leadership remains influential in decisions on a permanent cease-fire and Hamas's future role in the territory.
The officials said Hamas representatives had already met three times in Gaza City with other armed factions and government officials to prepare for the transfer of governance to the new administrative committee.
They said Hamas had "completed all preparations for a full handover of power," with the only obstacle being that the new administration has not yet been deployed on the ground in Gaza.
The committee is currently operating provisionally from Cairo, according to the report.
In anticipation of the handover, the officials said authorities in Gaza had frozen new appointments and promotions and expected that many Hamas members would be able to reintegrate into the new system of governance.
When asked about future governance, the officials did not demand that Hamas be represented in the new administration.
At the same time, they indicated that Hamas still intended to participate in Palestinian politics and continue resisting Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established.
The report said the Board of Peace appears open to some employees of the Hamas-run government remaining in positions under the new committee's authority, including in the police.
Analysts cited in the report said the officials' comments suggest a shift in Hamas's position on disarmament.
Mkhaimar Abusada, a political science professor at Al Azhar University in Gaza who now lives in Cairo, said Hamas may be trying to avoid openly rejecting Trump's plan.
"But if they accept giving up police weapons, it could open the door to further negotiations over the rest of its weapons," he said.
With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to disarm Hamas by force if necessary, many in Gaza fear another round of fighting, according to the report.
"We, the innocent people in Gaza, want an end to this situation," Saed Abu Aita, 45, told the newspaper.
"We want Hamas to give up their weapons and the Israelis to withdraw," he said.
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