France and Saudi Arabia are reportedly drafting a joint initiative aimed at stripping Hamas of its weapons, a move seen as the first step toward dismantling the group’s military capabilities, according to Bloomberg, which cited individuals with direct knowledge of the matter.
As part of this initiative, Saudi representatives are said to have established a channel of communication with Hamas leaders. While it remains uncertain whether France has also engaged directly with Hamas—given the European Union’s official designation of the group as a terrorist organization—Saudi involvement has been confirmed by the sources.
Insiders suggest that discussions are centered around the idea of Hamas giving up its arms in exchange for retaining a level of political influence. The overarching goal is reportedly to recast Hamas as a strictly political player that could still participate in future Palestinian leadership structures.
Tensions have reportedly been escalating between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron, largely due to France’s push to broaden international recognition of a Palestinian state.
France and Saudi Arabia are co-chairing a United Nations summit in New York, where formal steps toward such recognition are expected to take place, further straining diplomatic relations with Israel.
On Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot criticized Israel’s limited steps to increase aid into Gaza, saying, “totally insufficient… Immediate and massive aid is needed.”
A joint statement on Monday from the leaders of Britain, France, and Canada expressed firm opposition to Israel’s continued military operations in Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, warning that countermeasures could be on the table.
Hamas reacted positively to the message, declaring it a repudiation of “the policy of siege and starvation pursued by the occupation government against our people in the Gaza Strip, and the Zionist plans aimed at genocide and displacement.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, the IDF uncovered Hamas records suggesting that the October 7 massacre orchestrated by the group was deliberately designed to sabotage the progress of normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this month, Macron lambasted Netanyahu’s strategy in Gaza, where he claimed half a million residents are at risk of starvation, calling it disgraceful and urging European nations to consider expanding sanctions.
{Matzav.com Israel}