U.S. Shifts Position on Gaza Ceasefire: No Immediate Disarmament or Exile of Resistance Leaders
Egyptian source reveals Washington’s growing flexibility in Gaza truce talks, including delaying disarmament and opposing exile plans, as pressure mounts over Israeli hostages.
Watan-An informed Egyptian source involved in Cairo’s mediation efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip revealed on Friday a notable shift in the U.S. administration’s stance over the past few days toward ending the Israeli war on Gaza.
Speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the source said U.S. negotiators have recently ex
pressed to Egyptian mediators a willingness to postpone any firm decisions on imposing strict controls over Palestinian resistance weapons—especially those of Hamas—until after the implementation of a ceasefire agreement.
The source added that U.S. officials also acknowledged the impracticality of implementing plans to deport or exile resistance commanders or fighters outside the Gaza Strip. Reasons include security concerns from potential host countries and the sheer number of individuals—estimated by Israel at between 3,000 and 5,000—targeted for removal.
However, the American side insisted on the release of all remaining Israeli hostages alive and the handover of all bodies held by Palestinian factions, in a single, coordinated exchange. The source noted that close advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump have grown increasingly skeptical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military pressure strategy to free hostages, especially after receiving intelligence updates from American agencies.
These reports confirmed that three Israeli captives who were previously alive had been killed following the resumption of Israeli military operations on March 18. One hostage, U.S.-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander, is also reportedly at risk after being wounded by an Israeli airstrike targeting the site where he was held by Hamas’s military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades.
The Egyptian source expressed cautious optimism among mediators about the possibility of reaching a comprehensive agreement soon. This hope stems from Hamas’s readiness to release all Israeli detainees at once, and from progress in crafting a mutually acceptable framework to manage weapons and the movement of resistance members following a ceasefire.
