Hamas says it will not disarm in Gaza before Israel withdrawal

The Palestinian movement said it would relinquish its weapons to allow for a technocratic administration to run the besieged territory Hamas fighters in Gaza in February 2025 (AFP) Published date: 31 July 2026 10:35 BST | Last update: 8 sec ago A senior Hamas official has said that the Palestinian movement will not take any steps toward disarmament before Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza. Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera that Israel would have no role in the disarmament process. Instead, it is set to be carried out by a Palestinian national committee. The armed group has largely abided by a ceasefire agreement that came into effect in October last year, as Israel continues a sustained bombing campaign in violation of the agreement, killing more than a thousand Palestinians and injuring many more. According to the AFP news agency, Hamas sources said that the Palestinian technocratic committee established by the Board of Peace to govern Gaza will be "the sole entity" overseeing the process of managing and storing the group's weapons. Earlier on Friday, the Board of Peace announced that Hamas officially agreed to a detailed framework for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The agreement concludes months of intensive, good faith negotiations to advance President Donald J. Trump's vision for establishing new governance, security, humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and economic recovery in Gaza as set out in the Comprehensive Peace Plan and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803," it said in a statement on X. The statement described the decision as a "historic breakthrough," adding that Hamas will be disarming, which will be followed by the Israeli army's withdrawal from Gaza. Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. A monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY. pic.twitter.com/RYUKUdrwIJ — The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 30, 2026 Israeli officials have not commented on the matter, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers have frequently declared that Israeli forces will not be leaving the besieged territory, where soldiers have been carrying out a genocidal war and ethnic cleansing campaign. In May, Netanyahu announced his intention for Israel to control 70 percent of Gaza. "We currently control 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, and my directives are to move toward controlling 70 percent," the Israeli premier said. Israel has killed more than 73,000 people in its genocide so far, with thousands more missing and presumed dead, and reduced the enclave that is home to close to two million people to rubble, with around 90 percent of the population displaced and most living in crowded tents without sanitation. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.