Israel stands firm as Hamas demands power, arms, and immunity under ceasefire negotiations.
A senior member of the Hamas political bureau, Husam Badran, accused Israel on Tuesday of attempting to block the second phase of ongoing ceasefire negotiations by insisting on the group’s full disarmament.
According to Badran, the proposed second phase would involve a complete withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces from the Gaza Strip, the launch of large-scale reconstruction, expanded humanitarian aid, and steps toward shaping Gaza’s future political administration.
Badran rejected Israel’s demand that Hamas surrender its weapons, falsely portraying the group’s armed capabilities as a form of “self-defense” and invoking a claimed “right to resistance” under international law. He insisted that Hamas’ military status is an internal matter and should not be subject to external conditions—despite the group’s long record of attacks on Israeli civilians.
He further alleged that Hamas has fulfilled all obligations under the first phase of the agreement, while accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to uphold commitments, including a full withdrawal from certain combat zones and the reopening of the Rafah crossing.
Earlier reports revealed that Hamas is simultaneously pushing to integrate approximately 10,000 of its operatives into a future Gaza security force operating under a Palestinian administrative committee backed by the United States—a move Israel views as an attempt to rebrand terrorist infrastructure rather than dismantle it.
Israel has drawn a clear red line, firmly rejecting any scenario in which Hamas members are incorporated into Gaza’s future governing or security bodies. Israeli officials have stressed that complete and irreversible disarmament of Hamas is a non-negotiable condition for any lasting arrangement.
On Monday, a senior U.S. official stated that Washington views Hamas’ disarmament as potentially linked to conditional amnesty, as part of efforts to advance Donald Trump’s Gaza framework.
Under President Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who fully decommission their weapons and commit to peaceful coexistence could receive amnesty, while those choosing to leave Gaza would be granted safe passage to third countries.
Trump has repeatedly warned Hamas that refusal to disarm would carry severe consequences. Speaking last month alongside Prime Minister Netanyahu, he stated bluntly that if Hamas fails to disarm as agreed, “there will be hell to pay”—a message intended to underscore that terror groups cannot retain weapons while demanding legitimacy.
