Some Arab mediators negotiating an end to the war in Gaza believe that they can convince Hamas to partially disarm, a step that has long been a red line for the militant group, according to three people familiar with the mediators’ thinking.

The people, two officials and a person close to the negotiators, who all spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations, said that Hamas could agree to hand over some of its weapons, as long as President Trump can guarantee Israel will not resume fighting.

Izzat al-Rishq, the Qatar-based director of Hamas’s media office, declined to comment in response to detailed questions about whether the group would be open to giving up any of its arms.

Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel in Egypt, which began this week, are largely focused on a possible exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Even if that deal is reached, the two sides have major disagreements, key among which is the fate of Hamas’s weapons.

Israel has consistently said that Hamas must give up its arms before the Gaza war can end. The militant group has long regarded that as tantamount to surrender, with armed struggle against Israel a crucial part of Hamas’s ideology. It remains unlikely that mediators would be able to convince Hamas as a whole to disarm, experts say.

“Hamas might be willing to give up some weapons, but they won’t go without them altogether,” said Adi Rotem, a retired Israeli intelligence officer who served on Israel’s Gaza war negotiating team until December 2024. “Weapons are a core part of Hamas’s DNA.”