A Franco-Saudi Plan to Disarm Hamas: Exile in Exchange for Politics

A new joint initiative led by France and Saudi Arabia seeks to reshape the political and security landscape in Gaza by disarming Hamas and turning it into a political party integrated within the future Palestinian political structure.

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, both Paris and Riyadh are working closely to craft a comprehensive plan aimed at ending the war on Gaza. At the heart of the proposal is the controversial attempt to disarm Hamas and convert it into a civilian political movement — a vision that some see as a precondition for regional “stability,” but others view as an effort to undermine Palestinian resistance.

A Transitional Political Overhaul in Gaza

The report highlights that this initiative is still in its early phases. Yet, it enjoys backing from various Arab and Western parties eager to end the internal Palestinian divide and prepare the ground for a transitional phase that promises political and security “stability” in the Gaza Strip.

Key components of the plan reportedly include:

• • Exiling Hamas’ political and military leadership to Algeria, a neutral yet allied nation.

• • Deploying Arab peacekeeping forces in Gaza under international oversight.

• • Forming a transitional council representing various Palestinian factions to govern Gaza for four years.

• • Preparing for presidential and legislative elections during this transitional period.

Why Algeria?

Algeria’s selection as the proposed host for exiled Hamas leaders is based on several strategic factors. The North African nation maintains strong relations with both Qatar and Iran—two of Hamas’ primary supporters. Additionally, Algeria is seen as having the security infrastructure necessary to manage and contain any resistance activity from abroad.

This proposed displacement of Palestinian resistance leadership has sparked questions among observers: Is the goal truly peace? Or is it pacification?

Normalisation and the Gaza Trade-Off

This plan does not exist in isolation. It is part of a broader regional framework that includes Saudi Arabia’s exploratory steps toward normalising relations with Israel. Riyadh has signalled that a permanent ceasefire in Gaza is one of its core conditions before moving forward with any formal diplomatic engagement with Tel Aviv.

While such positioning is being sold as pragmatic statecraft, it raises critical concerns: Is the disarmament of resistance being packaged as a prerequisite for political progress? And at what cost to Palestinian self-determination?

France’s Role in the Diplomatic Chessboard

France, for its part, is attempting to act as a diplomatic coordinator between Western and Arab actors. President Emmanuel Macron has previously emphasised in conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the necessity of a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and opening humanitarian corridors.

However, Netanyahu has reportedly rejected any scenario that allows Hamas to return to governance or paves the way for a sovereign Palestinian state — revealing a core contradiction in the so-called “peace” efforts.

Editorial Analysis:

This initiative reflects a growing trend: foreign powers seeking to redefine Palestinian resistance according to their terms. By proposing exile over engagement, and politics without power, such efforts may dilute the very core of what Palestinian self-resistance has come to symbolise over decades of occupation.

For Muslim audiences worldwide, this raises a fundamental question:

Who gets to decide what legitimate resistance looks like — the oppressed or the occupiers?