France and Saudi Arabia in Surprising Peace Alliance: Aim to Disarm Hamas

France and Saudi Arabia have initiated a collaboration aimed at disarming and demobilizing the Iran-backed militant group Hamas.

The goal is to transform Hamas from an armed movement into a purely political actor, one that can still play a role in a future Palestinian self-government.

According to sources with insight into the negotiations, Saudi Arabia has already made contact with Hamas. It remains unclear whether France has done the same.

However, the plan faces strong opposition from Israel, which rejects any future political role for Hamas and insists on complete disarmament and the removal of the group’s leadership.

The disagreement is also creating tensions between French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Macron is working toward broader international recognition of a Palestinian state—an initiative that directly clashes with Netanyahu’s stance, especially after Hamas’ attacks in October 2023.

The French-Saudi plan is set to be presented at a UN conference in New York next month, which Paris and Riyadh are leading.

Here, the international community will attempt to revive the idea of a two-state solution. The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has yet to decide whether it will support the initiative.

Meanwhile, anger toward Hamas is simmering among the Palestinian civilian population.

In southern Gaza, hundreds of people have protested with chants like: “Out! Out! Out! Hamas must go.”

Several demonstrators have called on the rival Palestinian Authority in the West Bank to take control of the Gaza Strip.

Both President Mahmoud Abbas and his deputy Hussein Al-Sheikh have in recent days urged Hamas to lay down its arms for the sake of the Palestinian cause.

A similar message comes from Israel’s Netanyahu, who has outlined clear conditions for ending the 19-month-long war:

“Their leadership has been driven out of Gaza—or what’s left of them—and Gaza is completely free of weapons,” he declared at a press conference.

The conflict has so far claimed over 53,000 Palestinian lives, according to figures from Hamas’ own health ministry, and has created international pressure on Israel from countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and France.

These countries are calling for an end to military attacks and a humanitarian corridor.

The question now is whether France and Saudi Arabia can open a new path in a conflict where the battle lines appear to be drawn in more than just words.

It will require old enemies to lay down their weapons—and the international community to shift from passive to proactive.

Our team may have used AI to assist in the creation of this content, which has been reviewed by our editors.