US Ambassador to the UN Mike Walz said Hamas would be forced to hand over its weapons through an international buy-back program, the Times of Israel reported.
"Independent international monitors will oversee the demilitarization of Gaza, which includes the decommissioning of weapons through a coordinated decommissioning process supported by an internationally funded buy-back and reintegration program," US Ambassador to the UN Mike Walz said in remarks to the Security Council.
The remarks confirmed reports by The Times of Israel in recent months of plans to introduce a "buy-back" program, in which participants would receive funds or jobs if they agree to hand over their weapons.
This is part of a broader decommissioning initiative that Gaza truce brokers are promoting and that would see Hamas’ weapons gradually handed over, starting with heavy weapons.
Israel is unlikely to accept this gradual process, which prioritizes heavy weapons over light weapons, given that the latter category has also been used by Hamas to maintain its control over Gaza.
A US official who briefed reporters last week also said that the disarmament program would offer amnesty to Hamas fighters who cooperate with it.
The disarmament of Hamas is to take place as part of the second phase of the Gaza truce that US President Donald Trump launched last week.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the Council to be sure, Hamas still has thousands of rockets, anti-tank missiles, and about 60,000 automatic rifles.