Israel and the United States have rejected a paper submitted jointly by Palestinian factions, including Hamas, that links their disarmament to Palestinian statehood and security guarantees, following the latest round of negotiations over the future of Gaza.
A senior Palestinian source with knowledge of the talks told Middle East Eye that the Palestinian proposal called for negotiations over the disarmament of Hamas and other groups to be tied to the granting of political rights for the Palestinian people "within the national framework", as well as to commitments that the people of Gaza would no longer be killed.
Disagreements have deepened between the US and Israel on one side and Palestinian factions on the other after a series of meetings in Cairo and Istanbul in recent weeks. The central point of contention is the US and Israel’s insistence that Hamas and other groups disarm before a technocratic government is established in Gaza.
On Friday, Palestinian representatives handed their proposal to Egypt and Turkey, which have been mediating the talks.
On Saturday, the "mediators and the Americans both refused the Palestinian factions' paper and passed threatening messages from the Americans to the Palestinian negotiating team", the senior Palestinian source said.
