Hamas official says disarmament ‘out of the question’

Hamas’s disarmament as part of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza is “out of the question”, a Hamas official told AFP on Saturday.

“The proposed weapons handover is out of the question and not negotiable,” the official said.

The US president has indicated the issue of Hamas surrendering its weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan.

The 20-point plan promises amnesty to Hamas members who decommission their weapons and says they will be allowed to leave Gaza.

The Hamas official was speaking as a ceasefire holds in Gaza ahead of Monday’s 72-hour deadline for the release of Israeli hostages held since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks.

Hamas’s disarmament and the pullback of Israeli forces are seen as key sticking points for Trump’s plan despite rising hopes for the end of two years of devastating war.

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