Jonathan Powell, the UK prime minister’s national security adviser, has been pressing US contacts to consider a temporary, monitored retention of personal weapons by some Hamas fighters to break a stalemate in Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction talks. He cites lessons from the IRA decommissioning process while insisting staged measures would lead to full disarmament. The proposal clashes with Israel and the Trump administration’s demand for immediate, complete demilitarisation and has generated strong diplomatic pushback. The situation remains tense, with the possibility of a US ultimatum and renewed military action.
UK Security Adviser Proposes Temporary Allowing Of Some Hamas Weapons To Break Gaza Ceasefire Deadlock
Hamas has rejected Donald Trump’s demands to hand over its weapons - BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images
Sir Keir Starmer’s principal national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, has been urging US and other international contacts to consider a compromise that would permit a limited number of Hamas fighters to retain personal weapons temporarily as part of efforts to unblock stalled negotiations on phase two of a Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction plan.
Powell — who served as chief of staff to Sir Tony Blair during the Northern Ireland peace process — has reportedly argued that a staged, monitored disarmament process could create a practical route out of the current impasse, with full decommissioning to follow. He has discussed the idea with US interlocutors including envoy Steve Witkoff and others involved in the talks.
“He’s been hammering the phone with [the] Americans, trying to push what’s seen on this side as a realistic way forward, as against the Israeli approach,” a source close to the negotiations said.
The proposal has drawn sharp opposition from Israel and the administration of President Donald Trump, both of which publicly insist on complete demilitarisation of Gaza. Israel described Powell’s lobbying as an attempt to keep Britain relevant to the process, while senior Israeli officials said the current framework demands full demilitarisation and would not accept a plan that leaves weapons in Gaza.
Jonathan Powell has been ‘hammering the phone with [the] Americans’ about his suggestions, a source said - lyas Tayfun Salc/Anadolu via Getty Images
How The Proposal Would Work
According to officials familiar with discussions, Powell’s options were loosely modelled on the Irish Republican Army (IRA) decommissioning process after the Good Friday Agreement: weapons would be put beyond operational use and monitored by independent observers — for example, stored in sealed facilities under supervision — with verification mechanisms leading to eventual, full decommissioning.
British sources stress the stated objective remains the complete removal or neutralisation of weapons over time, and that no part of the UK Government is advocating permanent retention of arms by Hamas.
Why The Analogy Is Contested
Critics, particularly in Israel, caution against direct comparisons with the IRA: Hamas has been the governing authority in Gaza for years, exerts control over the civilian population in ways the IRA did not, and has developed hardened military infrastructure such as tunnel networks. These differences, they say, complicate the prospects for a staged approach to disarmament.
Palestinians walk down a ruined street in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Thursday - Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo
Supporters of Powell’s line — including some European and regional officials — argue that an unconditional demand for total disarmament could harden resistance from fighters who fear retribution and who may refuse to cooperate if stripped of all personal protections immediately.
Diplomatic Context
Britain has taken a discreet role in shaping elements of the US-backed Gaza plan and has contributed military and diplomatic personnel to the civil-military headquarters in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel, to monitor the fragile ceasefire and help plan reconstruction. Relations between the UK and Israel are strained following the UK Government’s recognition of a Palestinian state last summer without preconditions on Hamas.
At the Davos summit, Mr Trump set out a plan for a “new Gaza” and announced a Board of Peace backed by multiple national leaders; Sir Tony Blair was named to an executive board linked to that initiative. Jared Kushner presented material suggesting some room for nuanced approaches to disarmament, although language from US officials has been interpreted in different ways.
There are persistent reports that Washington may soon give Hamas an ultimatum to relinquish all weapons — a move that could raise the prospect of renewed Israeli military action if rejected.
Powell has been approached for comment.
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