Hamas rejects Gaza disarmament plan, Palestinian official says

 

The Gaza ceasefire came into effect in October but is yet to move to its next stage(Image: Reuters)

A senior Palestinian official who is familiar with the negotiations has informed the BBC that Hamas has rejected the disarmament plan of a key participant in President Donald Trump's efforts to negotiate a peace deal in Gaza. He accused Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on the US-led Board of Peace, of bias towards Israel.  As part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement that Hamas and Israel reached in October, Mladenov provided an outline for the demilitarization of Gaza. The official said Hamas told regional mediators that it would not engage in talks on the second phase until Israel fully implemented the terms of the first phase.

READ MORE: Massive Attack frontman arrested at Palestine protest

 Israel has stated that it will not move forward unless Hamas' disarmament progresses. A Hamas delegation in Cairo was due to meet Egypt's intelligence chief on Tuesday before departing.

 The first phase of Trump's peace plan halted the war, returned all Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and saw Israeli forces withdraw partially from Gaza.

 The beginning of phase two of Trump's plan to end the war was announced by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in the middle of January; however, Israel and Hamas have remained at odds ever since. Following Gaza's demilitarization and complete Israeli withdrawal, the second phase is intended to result in the war's permanent conclusion. Mladenov provided a comprehensive plan for Palestinian armed groups in Gaza to decommission their weapons last month, tying compliance to the beginning of reconstruction following Israel's devastating military campaign.

It was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 others as hostages to Gaza. More than 72,330 people have been killed by Israeli military action Gaza since then - including 757 since the ceasefire began on 10 October 2025 - according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

 "We are waiting for Mladenov to provide a clear timetable for Israel to fulfill the remaining obligations of phase one, along with guarantees to halt Israeli violations, before any discussion of phase two begins," a senior Hamas official told the BBC. He went on to say that Palestinian factions thought that the issue of weapons was tied to a complete solution that guaranteed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, not to partial arrangements. He mentioned that Mladenov thought it was unlikely that Israel would accept a Palestinian state that was independent.

According to the official, Hamas and other factions had told mediators at meetings in Cairo that they wouldn't start any talks on the second phase unless "Israeli violations, attacks, killings, and the ongoing starvation" were stopped completely and phase one was fully implemented. According to officials, Hamas is demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, alongside the deployment of international protection forces to assist local police in protecting civilians.

According to a second Hamas official, phase one's remaining requirements include: Completing military withdrawals

 Reopening all crossings, including Rafah, to individuals Allowing the entry of sufficient aid and commercial goods

 allowing the Palestinian technocratic body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which will temporarily run Gaza, to operate Restoring electricity

 Bringing in heavy machinery for rubble removal

 Rehabilitating hospitals and operating bakeries and water facilities

 He added that Mladenov's vision "aligns with the Israeli position" as it linked all issues to disarmament, without providing financial support for relief and recovery plans, leaving reconstruction efforts stalled - something Hamas and other factions reject.

 Last month, Mladenov told the UN Security Council that "the laying down of arms by militant actors would represent a decisive break from cycles of violence that have defined life in Gaza for decades".

 "For the people of Gaza, the implications are profound: Israeli military withdrawal and reconstruction at scale."

 He added that "a renewed war, or a new beginning" was the option. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously warned Hamas that it will be disarmed "either the easy way or the hard way".

Source: BBC