Hamas Rejects Disarmament Demands, Stalling Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Plan

Hamas's armed wing has firmly rejected calls for the group to disarm, with spokesperson Abu Obeida accusing such demands of being an attempt to perpetuate Israel's alleged genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. In a televised statement, Obeida said raising the issue of weapons "in a crude manner" would not be accepted, emphasizing that any discussion of disarmament must come only after Israel fully implements the first phase of the United States-brokered "ceasefire" plan. This stance has become a major obstacle in talks aimed at implementing US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, which seeks to end Israel's ongoing war on the territory.

Since the US- and Qatar-brokered ceasefire took effect in October, more than 705 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Hamas has told mediators it will not discuss disarmament without guarantees that Israel will completely withdraw from Gaza, as reported by Reuters last week. Obeida warned that the disarmament demands were "nothing but an overt attempt to continue the genocide against our people, something we will not accept under any circumstances." His remarks suggest a formal rejection of the US-backed plan, which includes a demand that Hamas lay down its arms.

The conflict, which began after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023, has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and injured at least 172,000 others, according to available data. Obeida urged mediators to pressure Israel to fulfill its commitments under the first phase of the Trump plan before any discussion of the second phase can take place, stating, "The enemy is the one who undermines the agreement." Israel has not immediately commented on his remarks, but the situation remains tense as both sides continue to blame each other for the deadlock.

Obeida also criticized Israel's role in the US-Israel war on Iran, condemning it for launching strikes on Iran "in the midst of the deception of negotiations, with full collusion and conspiracy with the United States." The US had been engaged in talks with Iran over its nuclear program in the weeks before the war began on February 28. In Iran, more than 2,000 people have been killed and at least 26,500 others injured since the war started.

Meanwhile, Obeida condemned Israel's renewed offensive against Lebanon, which began on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel. Israel's assault has killed more than 1,400 people and displaced over 1.2 million, according to Lebanese authorities. He praised Iran, Hezbollah, and Yemen's Houthis for their continued strikes against Israel, framing them as resistance efforts against occupation.

Hamas's spokesman also condemned the Israeli parliament's passage of a new death penalty law that applies exclusively to Palestinians. He urged people in the West Bank "to seek, by every possible means, to liberate the [Palestinian] prisoners" held in Israeli jails. These statements underscore Hamas's broader strategy of linking its military stance to the political and humanitarian crises gripping the region, while also highlighting the complex web of regional conflicts involving Iran, Lebanon, and Israel.