Hamas has asked the Palestinian Authority to store its weapons in an effort to avoid disarmament requirements under the Trump ceasefire plan, Ynet reported.

Sources in Gaza said that Hamas leaders, facing pressure to surrender or destroy the terror group’s arsenal, proposed that the PA hold the weapons temporarily without eliminating them.

“They asked the Palestinian Authority to open a dialogue and consider storing the weapons,” a source familiar with the talks said. “They don’t intend to hand them over or destroy them.”

Palestinian Authority officials have not entirely dismissed the proposal but are skeptical of such an agreement. “There is no trust in Hamas leadership,” one senior PA official said, warning the initiative could be a trap designed to manipulate or undermine the PA’s legitimacy.

PA officials say that Hamas leaders have made repeated requests to find a solution for their weapons. One PA official reportedly told Hamas, “If you want to claim the weapons are being transferred to the PA, then declare publicly that you are handing them over.”

Hamas has refused to do so, and PA intelligence chief Majed Faraj and civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh rejected the request.

Israeli and Western officials believe Hamas is attempting to circumvent the disarmament clause by hiding their weapons while pretending to comply. The PA insists it will only accept a full and unconditional transfer of arms.

Last month, Israeli security officials told government officials that the working assumption is that Hamas will not disarm, despite its formal commitments under the U.S.-brokered deal.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)