Hamas Armed Wing Rejects Disarmament Demands

Hamas’s armed wing has formally rejected calls for the Palestinian group to disarm, stating that raising the issue before Israel fully implements the first phase of a United States-brokered ceasefire amounts to an attempt to continue the war in Gaza. In a televised statement on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Al Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, said the disarmament demands would not be accepted under any circumstances. 

The comments come as the issue of Hamas relinquishing its weapons remains a major obstacle in talks to implement a 20-point plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump.

Obeida accused Israel of using the demand to undermine the Palestinian resistance, describing the move as an overt attempt to continue what he called a genocide against the Palestinian people. He urged mediators to pressure Israel to fulfil its commitments under the first phase of the Trump plan before any discussion of the second phase can take place. 

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According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, more than 705 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the US and Qatar brokered ceasefire took effect in October 2025. Hamas has consistently told mediators it will not discuss disarmament without guarantees that Israel will completely withdraw from Gaza, according to three sources who spoke to the Reuters news agency last week.