Itikaf: Hamas has expressed its readiness to hand over its weapons to an international force.

Steve Witkoff, the White House envoy to the Middle East, revealed on Friday what transpired in a meeting held just hours before the signing of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip on October 9.

Witkoff explained that Hamas had shown a willingness at that time to hand over its weapons to an international security force, noting that the meeting was attended by former U.S. presidential advisor Jared Kushner.

During his speech at the "American Business Forum" in Miami, Witkoff pointed out that the movement had demonstrated an openness to cooperate with the international community regarding a "disarmament and amnesty program."

He confirmed that Washington is working on establishing a framework for a comprehensive plan for economic development and infrastructure in Gaza, which includes providing job opportunities and improving basic services.

The American envoy said, "If Hamas does that, it will realize that our development plan for Gaza is truly wonderful — much better than what has been proposed before."

He clarified that the initiative aims to create a "model" that can later be applied on a larger scale, with the goal of ensuring stability in the region.

In another aspect, Witkoff revealed ongoing American pressure on the Israeli occupation side to allow between 100 to 200 Hamas members trapped in the Rafah tunnels to exit in exchange for handing over their weapons.

He emphasized that this process represents a "model" for implementing the disarmament program.

The envoy noted that there is ongoing coordination with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to ensure adherence to international agreements.

These developments come amid a hesitant "Israeli" stance; although Tel Aviv has not completely ruled out the idea during private discussions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly opposes granting a safe passage to members of the movement.

The United States had previously offered a 24-hour safe passage for fighters trapped in the Rafah tunnels before Hamas later expressed interest in the offer.