Hamas: No Demobilization before Israel Withdraws from Gaza

JAKARTA - A senior Hamas official said his party would not take any steps regarding disarmament before Israeli forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip.

Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas negotiating delegation, said the issue of disarmament was related to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the reconstruction of the area.

In his statement to Al Jazeera, Hamad said Israel would not have a role in the disarmament process, which he said would instead be carried out by a Palestinian national body.

Hamad stressed that Hamas would not take any disarmament measures, unless Israel first fulfilled its obligations under the agreement reached.

As reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, July 31, Ghazi Hamad described the negotiation process as "difficult and heavy". According to Hamad, Hamas is trying to get the best results while remaining committed to protecting the rights of the Palestinian people.

He also expressed his gratitude to Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for their mediation efforts in helping achieve the agreement.

Hamaditu's statement was made after US President Donald Trump announced that an agreement had been reached on the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.

At the same time, Israeli forces will be withdrawn gradually.

Trump also praised the role of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey in helping achieve what he called a "historic breakthrough".

According to him, the agreement will be implemented gradually, with the International Stabilization Force working with the new Palestinian police to take over responsibility for maintaining security in Gaza.

The war, which Israel calls its "war of annihilation" in Gaza, has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 174,000 others, mostly women and children, and destroyed about 90 percent of the enclave's infrastructure.

The ceasefire was mediated through Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza with it overseen by a peace council he heads.

Although the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 2025, Israel continued to launch daily attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, killing 1,214 Palestinians and injuring 3,977 others, most of whom were women and children, and causing massive damage.