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Schmitt and McFarland Discuss Gaza-Israel Peace Deal and Hamas’ Future


Top Points

  • Hamas is excluded from the new Gaza–Israel peace deal: The agreement establishes a governing structure for Gaza that bars Hamas from participating in future leadership and requires it to disarm completely.

  • Regional Arab countries are united in supporting the deal: Nations such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have reportedly backed the agreement and withdrawn political or financial support for Hamas, signaling a new level of regional cooperation.

  • The deal marks a major diplomatic shift in the Middle East: K.T. McFarland and Rob Schmitt emphasized that the united regional front gives the peace plan more strength than past efforts and could reshape the path toward long-term stability in Gaza.


Full Report:

On a recent broadcast of Rob Schmitt Tonight, Rob Schmitt hosted K.T. McFarland to discuss a newly announced peace-deal framework between Israel and Gaza. The central focus was how Hamas is explicitly excluded from future governance roles in Gaza and must lay down its weapons as part of the broader regional consensus.


Key Elements of the Deal

McFarland described the agreement as a significant diplomatic milestone. According to her, the deal establishes a new governing structure for Gaza that forbids Hamas from participating in any future government and demands that it relinquish its arms. She noted that Hamas has been left politically, financially, and regionally isolated, with regional Arab states endorsing and enforcing the agreement. McFarland stated that countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have cut ties with Hamas, and that multiple states in the region are aligned around the terms of the deal.


Hamas’ Exclusion and Disarmament Requirement

According to McFarland on the show, the agreement clearly states that Hamas must disarm and is barred from participating in governance in Gaza going forward. She emphasized that this is not just a U.S. initiative but one backed by Arab states, effectively creating a regional enforcement mechanism for the terms of the deal. McFarland characterized Hamas as now “alone, isolated, broke,” having lost support from many previous allies and facing formidable pressure to comply.


Regional Support and Implications

The interview underscored the broad international backing of the framework. McFarland argued that this regional backing gives the deal far greater leverage than past cease-fires. Her view is that the coordinated stance of Arab countries signals a shift in Middle East diplomacy, where previously divergent states are now united in enforcing conditions on Gaza’s governance and security. She also linked this development to earlier diplomatic efforts and influence by U.S. actors in building trust with Gulf Arab leaders, which she says paved the way for the current agreement.


What It Means Going Forward

During the conversation, Schmitt and McFarland discussed how the success of the deal will depend on implementation: whether Hamas truly lays down its arms, whether the new governing structure in Gaza is effective, and whether regional partners remain committed to enforcement. The hope expressed was that this could mark a turning point in the long-standing conflict, offering Gaza a path toward reconstruction and stability while limiting militant influence.


References


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