'It's a complicated war zone': Palestinian envoy to India says Hamas must give up arms

Palestinian Ambassador to India, Abdullah Mohammad Abu Shawesh, said that the release of hostages from Gaza cannot happen if it is a ‘complicated war zone’. While speaking to CNN News18, the Palestinian envoy said that the “details of Hamas accepting US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan are yet to be discussed,” and the Palestinian side will be waiting for that.

“Hamas accepted the President Trump Plan, but details have to be discussed. They have an issue with Tony Blair’s name, but that can be discussed. Our official position has been one force of Palestine, so Hamas giving up weapons is our official position,” he told CNN News18.

“Release of hostages cannot happen like that; it is a complicated war zone,” he added. Shawesh also spoke about the historical ties between India and Palestine. “India and Palestine have historical relations. India supports a two-state solution, and is a key pillar in the political arena," he said.

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Is the Israel-Hamas war coming to an end?

The latest assertions from Trump underlined that Israel and Hamas are the closest they have been in two years to achieving an end to the Gaza war, which has caused a major humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave.

Trump is widely seen as the only international leader with the power to compel the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to agree to a ceasefire deal. In their Friday statement, Hamas said it was giving its “approval of releasing all occupation prisoners – both living and remains – according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal, with the necessary field conditions for implementing the exchange."

The Palestinian group also maintained that it was willing to turn over “the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independent technocrats based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing”.

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However, Hamas made it clear that “other issues” in Trump’s proposal would need to be discussed further “within a unified Palestinian national framework”. While the issue is not specified, it is likely to include arms, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and international guarantees for a permanent ceasefire.

What does Trump’s plan entail?

It is pertinent to note that Trump’s plan called for an immediate end to fighting in Gaza, an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners within 72 hours of the deal’s signing, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and a transitional authority led by Trump.

The American leader’s proposal also called for a surge of aid to Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine, and the reconstruction of the mostly demolished strip. While the deal was largely seen as unfavourable to Hamas, there has been international pressure on the group to accept the plan, with most regional and global powers welcoming the Trump initiative.

While Hamas immediately did not agree to disarm, its acceptance of a hostage handover will be seen as significant. 48 hostages have been used as leverage throughout the nearly two-year war. Hence, giving them up would leave the group with few bargaining chips going forward.