Hamas senior official sets condition for disarmament: 'Not before Israeli withdrawal'

Hamas senior official Razi Hamed declared that the organization will not move toward disarmament before Israel's withdrawal from the Strip. In the US, they argue that the plan is expected to proceed in the coming weeks, in a conditional process and in close coordination with Israel.

Hamas senior official Razi Hamed, a member of the organization's negotiating team, stated that Hamas will not take steps regarding disarmament before Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. According to him, "We will not take any step regarding disarmament before Israel's withdrawal from the Strip." These remarks come against the backdrop of the American outline for the "day after" in Gaza, which includes a gradual disarmament of Hamas's military capabilities, the establishment of a new governing mechanism in the Strip, and an international stabilization force. Despite his words, the United States insists that the disarmament plan is expected to proceed in the coming weeks, in a conditional process, to be carried out in stages and according to progress on the ground. American officials emphasized that there is close cooperation with Israel regarding the outline and its implementation mechanisms, and that disarmament will not be based on trust between the parties, but on clear conditions, supervision, and verification of each stage in the process. The statement illustrates the gap between Hamas's demand for an early Israeli withdrawal and the position of American officials, according to which disarmament is an integral part of the overall outline for the future of the Strip.