Jordan proposes plan to exile 3,000 Hamas members from Gaza to end war: MEE

According to American and Palestinian sources briefed on the Jordanian proposal, those to be exiled would include both military and civilian leaders and members of Hamas.

The plan also calls for the disarmament of Hamas and other resistance factions in Gaza, according to a scheduled timeline.

This would end Hamas’s rule in the war-battered strip and allow the Palestinian Authority (PA) to assume control.

The proposal comes as Israel escalates its bombardment of Gaza, just days after violating the ceasefire it signed with Hamas earlier this year.

On 18 March, Israeli fighter jets launched dozens of air strikes across Gaza as people were waking up to eat pre-dawn meals during Ramadan, killing 400 civilians, including nearly 200 children.

Since then, the continuous Israeli attacks on the strip have killed a further 300 Palestinians.

Overall, Israeli forces have killed more than 50,000 Palestinians since October 2023, including nearly 18,000 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 113,000 have been wounded.

The ceasefire that Israel violated was a three-phase agreement, starting with a temporary cessation of hostilities and intended to lead to a permanent end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

However, Israel refused to move to the second stage of the deal as agreed and instead sought an extension of the first phase, delaying the end of the war and a full withdrawal.

Hamas refused to extend the first phase and insisted on moving to the second stage, as originally agreed.

Despite the violation of the ceasefire by Israeli bombardment, the Palestinian movement has expressed willingness to resume negotiations to proceed to the second phase.

Steve Witkoff, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East who helped broker the first deal, stated in an interview with Tucker Carlson on Friday that Hamas cannot govern Gaza and should disarm.

Similar proposals have been made multiple times by Israel since the war broke out, suggesting the departure of Hamas leaders from Gaza in exchange for an end to the fighting.

Gal Hirsch, an Israeli commander responsible for captives affairs, proposed a plan last year to end the war on Gaza, allowing the safe passage of Hamas leaders in exchange for the release of all Israeli captives in one phase.

Hamas officials have consistently dismissed calls for their disarmament or departure from Gaza, insisting they will carry arms as long as the Israeli occupation exists.