GAZA — Hamas said on Friday that any agreement on disarmament in the Gaza Strip would depend on Israel first fulfilling its commitments under a separate agreement, casting uncertainty over a U.S.-announced breakthrough in talks aimed at ending the conflict.
Hamas representative Ghazi Hamad said the group would consider disarming and transferring weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza only after Israel halted military operations, withdrew forces to their previous positions and allowed increased humanitarian aid into the enclave, according to Reuters.
The comments followed an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups had agreed to a broad plan for disarmament. The plan is intended to facilitate an Israeli military withdrawal and a transition to a new technocratic administration in Gaza.
An Israeli official, however, said Israel would not agree to withdraw its forces without the prior disarmament of Hamas and demilitarization of Gaza, according to Reuters.
The conflicting positions indicate that key details of the proposed arrangement, including the sequence of disarmament and Israeli withdrawal, remain unresolved.
Hamad said the disarmament process would be conducted through a Palestinian national committee and that Israel would have no role in it. He described the negotiations as difficult, while emphasizing that Hamas had not agreed to implement disarmament before Israel met its obligations.
The latest statements could not be independently verified beyond the accounts of the parties involved. The status of the proposed agreement remained subject to further negotiations as of Friday.
