Hamas has denied the reports that it had agreed to disarm as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, firmly rejecting remarks reportedly made by President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in August 2. “We reiterate that resistance and its weapons are a national and legal right as long as the occupation continues,” said a Hamas statement. It insisted that this right, recognised under international law, could not be relinquished until the creation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The statement came in direct response to Witkoff’s comments during a meeting with families of Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv, where he was quoted by Israeli media as saying that “Hamas said that it is ready to demilitarise.” Witkoff appeared to reference a recent Arab League declaration urging Hamas to disarm, which was supported by several countries, including Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The declaration condemned Hamas’s October 2023 attack that triggered the ongoing war and called for the group to surrender its weapons.
Speaking to hostage families at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Witkoff said, “Some Arab countries are demanding that Hamas disarm.” His claim that Hamas had “expressed willingness” to do so was swiftly rebutted by the group. Hamas stressed that any agreement on disarmament could only follow the establishment of a Palestinian state, rejecting the idea of concessions under military pressure.
The disarmament of Hamas remains one of Israel’s key demands in ceasefire negotiations. Talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over the past week, despite mounting international pressure. Several Western nations, including the UK, France and Canada, have recently pledged to recognise a Palestinian state. The UK has said it will do so if Israel fails to meet certain conditions by September.
In this shifting diplomatic climate, Arab governments have also increased calls for Hamas to step aside and allow a new Palestinian leadership to emerge in Gaza.
Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. On August 1, Israel Defense Forces Chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir warned that military operations would continue unless hostages were released soon. A day later, Hamas released a video showing hostage Evyatar David in a frail condition inside a tunnel. David, 24, was abducted on October 7, 2023, at the Nova rave in southern Israel, where more than 350 people were killed. His family said that he had become a “living skeleton, buried alive” in Hamas tunnels, and asked the American and Israeli governments to secure his release.
Witkoff undertook a five-hour tour of southern Gaza on August 1, aiming to inform Trump on the dire humanitarian situation and aid distribution. According to the United Nations, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed near aid distribution points since late May, the majority by Israeli forces.
Israel claims its troops do not target civilians and accuses Hamas of creating chaos near the sites.
Hamas denounced Witkoff’s visit, calling it “a pre-arranged theatrical performance” that provided Israel with political cover. The group accused the US of complicity in what it termed “starvation and genocide” and called for an urgent ceasefire to end the suffering.
