Hamas said Friday it will begin disarming if Israel ends its strikes on Gaza and withdraws its military forces from the territory.
The announcement comes as part of a deal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. The proposal represents a potential turning point in a conflict that has lasted two years [1].
Hamas leadership said that disarmament is conditioned on the end of military strikes and a full Israeli withdrawal. The group also tied the process to the creation of a Palestinian state [2]. This requirement remains a primary point of contention, as Israel currently rejects the condition of statehood [2].
President Donald Trump said a phased agreement envisions Hamas disarming and Israeli forces withdrawing [3]. However, the sequence of these actions is disputed. Hamas said that Israel must halt strikes and pull out first [4]. Conversely, Israel said it refuses to withdraw before Hamas disarms [4].
This diplomatic effort follows a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that was announced last October [5]. Despite that earlier attempt, the region remains unstable as both parties disagree on the order of security operations. Some analysts said the success of the current deal hinges on credible verification and security arrangements that have not yet been confirmed [3].
The conflict has persisted through multiple rounds of negotiations. The current deadlock centers on whether the disarmament of the militant group or the withdrawal of the Israeli military should occur first, a gap that has historically stalled ceasefire agreements.
“Hamas said it will begin disarming if Israel ends its strikes on Gaza and withdraws its military forces.”
The disagreement over the sequence of disarmament and withdrawal reflects a fundamental lack of trust between Hamas and Israel. By tying disarmament to the creation of a Palestinian state, Hamas is attempting to secure a permanent political outcome rather than a temporary ceasefire. Israel's refusal to withdraw first suggests it views the total disarmament of Hamas as a non-negotiable prerequisite for any security guarantee.
