Hamas Refuses to Disarm Without Palestinian Statehood, Ceasefire Talks Stall (BBC)

(BBC) — Hamas has reiterated that it will not disarm unless a sovereign Palestinian state is established, firmly rejecting one of Israel’s core conditions in ongoing ceasefire discussions over Gaza.

The Palestinian militant group issued the statement in response to comments it attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who claimed that Hamas had shown a willingness to lay down its arms.

Israel maintains that Hamas’ disarmament remains a non-negotiable prerequisite for any agreement to end the ongoing conflict.

Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas—conducted indirectly—have stalled over the past week, deepening concerns over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In recent days, several Arab nations have called on Hamas to disarm and relinquish control of the Gaza Strip. These appeals come amid announcements from Western nations like France and Canada of plans to recognize an independent Palestinian state. The United Kingdom also stated it may follow suit by September if Israel fails to meet specific conditions.

In its official statement, Hamas—designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., U.K., and the European Union—affirmed that it would not give up the right to resist or surrender its weapons unless an “independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital” is realized.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned on Friday that military operations in Gaza would continue unless the hostage negotiations resulted in quick progress.

Adding urgency to the situation, Hamas released a video on Saturday showing Israeli hostage Evyatar David looking frail, shirtless, and held in what appeared to be a dark tunnel. His family accused Hamas of using starvation tactics for propaganda purposes and urged both the Israeli government and the United States to take immediate action to secure his release.