Hamas Official Conditions Disarmament on Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza

Razi Hamad, a senior Hamas official and member of the terror group's negotiation team, stated that Hamas will not begin disarming before Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip. Hamad made these remarks in an interview with Al-Jazeera, emphasizing that no steps toward disarmament will be taken prior to an Israeli pullout.

This declaration comes amid a U.S.-led plan for Gaza's "day after," which includes the gradual dismantling of Hamas's military capabilities, the establishment of a new governing authority in Gaza, and the deployment of an international stabilization force. Despite Hamad's position, U.S. officials maintain that the disarmament process for Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza is expected to commence in the coming weeks.

American sources highlighted that the disarmament will be conditional, phased, and closely coordinated with Israel. They stressed that the process will rely on clear conditions, oversight, and verification at every stage rather than mutual trust. The divergence between Hamas's demand for an Israeli withdrawal before disarmament and the U.S. approach, which integrates disarmament as a core component of the overall Gaza framework, represents a significant challenge to implementing the plan.