A U.S. proposal to disarm Hamas; we hear voices from Iran

0:00Support for this podcast and the following message come from Rivian, makers of the all-electric three-row R1S SUV and the always capable R1T pickup, designed with the planet and future generations in mind. Learn more or schedule a demo drive at rivian.com. Today on State of the World, a U.S. proposal to disarm Hamas, and we hear some voices from Iran.

0:28You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories up close where they're happening. It's Thursday, March 19th. I'm Greg Dixon. In a few minutes, we'll hear from people inside Iran about living with airstrikes in the sky and a government clampdown on the ground. First, NPR has learned about an important development in Gaza. Mediators have finally given Hamas a proposal to hand over all its weapons. NPR's Daniel Estrin in Jerusalem broke the story, and he spoke to Mary Louise Kelly about what it means. Start with the timing, the why now? Why is this happening now in the middle of the Iran war?

1:08Well, we have really been waiting for this moment ever since the ceasefire began in Gaza in October. At that time, the U.S. said that Hamas would have to decommission its weapons, whatever that means. Hamas said it was willing to discuss its weapons, but there really was no movement on that because we were waiting for the U.S. to hand over a formal proposal. And today, my NPR colleague, Abu Bakr Bashir was told by a senior U.S. official that that proposal was handed over to Hamas last week. We confirmed this with an additional official in the region and also another person briefed on the matter.

1:42All of these people we spoke to were speaking on condition of anonymity. They're not authorized to speak about this publicly. This happened very quietly. Mediators met Hamas last week in Cairo, we are told, and handed over the proposal. And what is it? What is the proposal? We have not seen a copy, but what a person briefed on this proposal told me was that it is a comprehensive framework for Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza to hand over all of their weapons and that a new transitional Palestinian leadership will be the only authority in Gaza allowed to hold weapons. This person spoke about no partial deal.

2:21You know, we have been hearing for many months that maybe Hamas would be asked to, for instance, gradually give up its heavy weapons and only later give up its rifles, its personal firearms. This person seems to be saying that this proposal is for it to give up all of its weapons all at the same time. And not just Hamas, but also new militias that have formed in Gaza during the war, anti-Hamas militias that some of them Israel armed throughout the war. The person we spoke to said that if Hamas accepts this laying down its weapons proposal, this would ensure large scale reconstruction of Gaza, which has just been devastated in the war.

3:04And we are told that Hamas is expected to respond to this proposal in about a week's time after the Muslim Eid holiday. OK, so we're waiting on some kind of formal official response to this proposal. Are they saying anything in the meantime? We've heard no immediate comment from senior Hamas leaders. We spoke with one Hamas official who denied a proposal had been given. I guess a big question here is the same big question we've had for a while. Will Hamas actually accept a plan like this? Why would they accept a plan to hand over all their weapons after they've been fighting Israel for more than two years?

3:41Yeah, that is the question. It's going to be very hard for Hamas to accept this kind of deal. You know, even if they were badly degraded in the war, they have the upper hand in Gaza. They're the most powerful militia. They survived two years of war. And this new Palestinian group that's supposed to govern Gaza has not even entered Gaza yet. And Piers Daniel Estrin, breaking news there in Jerusalem. Thank you, Daniel. You're welcome. To Iran now, where civilians find themselves caught between a U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign on one side and a severe program of government repression on the other.

4:18Despite an Internet blackout, NPR's Arzu Rezvani has been receiving voice memos from some Iranians about what's happening inside their country. 28-year-old M dreads nighttime in Tehran.

4:35I go to sleep terrified. Every night, we're jolted awake by explosions and bombs raining down on the city. He asks NPR to only use his first initial for fear of government reprisal. He says security forces across the capital city are stopping people at checkpoints and requesting their phones.

4:59They looked through one of my friend's phones the other day. They searched to see if he had any apps for bypassing the internet blackout, and they looked through his text messages. Some 400 miles away from Tehran, in the city of Baneh, near the Iran-Iraq border, a 40-year-old Kurdish-Iranian man who asked NPR not to identify him even by an initial, describes a militarized city.

5:28These security forces are everywhere. They've left their stations and are in schools, hospitals, mosques and the sports stadiums, and have told people who live near those places to leave. The regime has sent most of its forces to border cities like mine in the east. And for the first time, all armed forces, including the Revolutionary Guard and the army, are working together. Ghanian. Numerous sources inside Iran have shared similar versions of these accounts with NPR in recent days. They allege security forces have relocated to civilian buildings, that they're hunting down people who talk with foreign media.

6:06Many say they've received text messages warning them not to join crowds that might turn into protests. It's a heavy price Iranians are paying, and some are willing to endure it. On a muffled phone line, one 17-year-old girl in Tehran who also asked NPR not to name her for fear of government reprisals, says that despite the destruction and the casualties, she wants the U.S. and Israel to carry on.

6:35You guys killed our old Supreme Leader. Thank you very much for that. I'd like to also see his son, Mujtaba, the new Supreme Leader, and all the other top officials join him in the afterlife. She still dreams of regime change and worries President Trump might call off the war. can simply accept the surviving ruling establishment. If these guys stay, I'd rather die than go on living, she says. Throughout this war, Iran's state TV and social media channels have been showing footage of anti-Iran war protests abroad. Crowds are seen denouncing Trump's strikes on Iran as an illegal act of war, an argument echoed by Iran's government.

7:19It's a connection one woman in Tehran finds infuriating.

7:26I see these left-wing anti-war protesters abroad. Perhaps they don't know what they're supporting. This is a system that legally allows child marriages, that executes gay people. These protesters might think they're fighting imperialism or Trump, but the real imperialist power is the Islamic Republic that's killed thousands of people in Iraq and Syria and kill thousands more of its own people in the most brutal ways. This Islamic Republic that speaks of peace and negotiation is the same one that turns around and brutalizes our people.

8:03Iran's government is fighting for its life. Whether it lives or dies will have enormous consequences for people living through the war. Arizu Rezbani, NPR News, Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

8:21That's the State of the World from NPR. Thanks for listening. This message comes from Amazon Business. With smart business buying, get everything you need to grow in one familiar place, from office supplies to IT essentials and maintenance tools. Ready to bring your visions to life? Learn how at amazonbusiness.com. This message comes from ADP. Whether it's a last-minute policy change or adding a new company holiday, anything can change the world of work. From HR to payroll, ADP helps businesses take on the next anything. ADP. Always designing for people. This message comes from NPR sponsor CFP.

9:04Certified financial planner professionals committed to acting in their clients' best interests. Learn more at letsmakeaplan.org.