Hamas has rejected reports that it expressed a willingness to disarm during Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Israel. The Palestinian group said its right to resist the Israeli occupation “cannot be relinquished until full national rights are restored”.
Hamas responded to recent remarks by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who told relatives of Israeli captives held in Gaza that Hamas was “prepared to be demilitarised”. However, Hamas stated that its resistance and weapons are a “national and legal right as long as the occupation persists”.
The group added that this right “cannot be relinquished until our full national rights are restored”, including the establishment of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Witkoff’s comments on disarmament come amid an international push to recognise a Palestinian state.
The US administration has faced criticism for its support of Ghodran Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which provides aid in Gaza despite being linked to killings and violence. The UK is set to follow France in recognising a Palestinian state, with 17 countries backing a two-state solution at a UN conference this week.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/2/hamas-denies-it-expressed-willingness-to-disarm-slams-witkoffs-gaza-trip