Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the delegation submitted its answer this week to the amendment document presented in mid-June by the head of the Council for Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, which is tasked with managing the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, the response contained only minor changes compared to Hamas and Palestinian factions’ previous position, and those involved assess the chances of the amendments being accepted as low.
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A delegation of the Hamas organization delivered its response in Cairo to mediators
(Photo: Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Negotiation sources said the Hamas delegation that arrived in Cairo this week delivered its response to mediators on the amendment document, which includes proposals for governing the Gaza Strip.
One of the main points of dispute concerns salary payments for former Hamas government employees. Hamas insists on full payment for all workers, while the updated proposal by Mladenov focuses only on employees who would serve under a future “committee for Gaza administration.”
Another disputed issue concerns weapons held by the Hamas organization in the Gaza Strip. According to the report, Hamas removed the term “infrastructure” from the proposed definition, which had included tunnels, weapons depots and production workshops. In effect, Hamas’ position is that these elements would not be included in any disarmament process.
Nikolay Mladenov. Palestinian officials described the participation of senior figures as relatively unusual, suggesting dissatisfaction with the frequent changes
(Photo: AP)
At the same time, Palestinian factions are demanding a gradual implementation of disarmament within about two weeks of reaching understandings, alongside a clear political track tied to Palestinian self-determination.
Palestinian sources said the changes made were minor and coordinated in part between Hamas and some factions, though other officials said no structured consultation took place as planned. Senior Hamas figures, including Zahar Jabarin, a member of the organization’s political bureau responsible for the West Bank, took part in the delegation to Cairo. Palestinian officials described the participation of senior figures as relatively unusual, suggesting dissatisfaction with the frequent changes introduced by Mladenov.
A senior Hamas official was quoted as saying, “Either we reach new understandings, or the mediators find other solutions, or we return to the point of disagreement.”
Meanwhile, another Palestinian official estimated that Israel and Mladenov may reject the changes, which could return the situation to a renewed diplomatic standoff.