President Trump said Thursday that it appears Hamas is preparing to disarm, despite Hamas officials continuing to publicly reject the idea.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Trump said, “It looks like Hamas is going to disarm,” without providing details or citing any agreements. Hamas officials as recently as several hours earlier had insisted they would not give up their weapons.

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said the terrorist group would be forced to demilitarize one way or another.

“They will because they have no choice,” Witkoff said. “They’re going to give up their AK-47s.”

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz also said this week that Hamas would be encouraged to surrender its weapons through an international buy-back program, offering new details on a proposal Washington is expected to advance.

Under the plan, participants could receive funds, jobs and amnesty in exchange for handing over weapons, according to Waltz. The proposal aligns with previous reporting that mediators have discussed a weapons decommissioning initiative tied to the Gaza ceasefire.

Arab diplomats have said the broader framework would involve Hamas gradually turning over its arms, beginning with heavy weaponry. Israeli officials, however, are unlikely to support a phased approach that prioritizes heavy weapons over small arms, which Israel says Hamas has also used to maintain control in Gaza.

Trump also credited Hamas with helping locate the bodies of the final deceased hostages held in Gaza, a claim that Israeli officials have not confirmed.

“Hamas was a big factor in getting all of the hostages back. They found the dead hostages,” Trump said. “Between Israel and Hamas working together, they got them back.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)