France and Saudi Arabia are working on a proposal to disarm Hamas terrorists, paving the way for its demobilization, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing “people familiar with the discussions.”
Saudi officials have reportedly been in contact with Hamas leadership as part of the efforts, the sources stated, adding that it is unclear if France has also been in direct contact, especially as the European Union recognizes Hamas as a terror organization.
According to the sources, allowing Hamas to “retain a degree of political power would make it more likely to accept disarming,” and the objective of the talks is to transform Hamas into a “purely political entity that can still play some role in future Palestinian governance.”
Reports have also indicated that there have been growing strains between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron over France’s attempts to get more countries to recognize a Palestinian state.
The United Nations conference in New York, where this recognition is likely to occur, is being co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that Israel’s easing of humanitarian aid access to Gaza is “totally insufficient… Immediate and massive aid is needed.”
Leaders of Britain, France, and Canada stated on Monday that they oppose Israel’s ongoing military presence in Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and that they may take action.
Hamas welcomed the statement, “rejecting the policy of siege and starvation pursued by the occupation government against our people in the Gaza Strip, and the Zionist plans aimed at genocide and displacement.”
Did Hamas attack Israel to prevent normalization with Riyadh?
On Sunday, The Wall Street Journal cited Hamas meeting records found by the IDF, reporting that Hamas’s October 7 massacre was aimed at torpedoing the normalization efforts between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Earlier in May, Macron had said that Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy in Gaza, where half a million people are allegedly facing starvation, was shameful and that Europeans should consider increasing sanctions.
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