Disarmament of Hamas “is out of the question” and “not negotiable”, says head of the Islamist group.
A leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said this Saturday that “it’s out of the question” the disarmament of this group foreseen in US President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Gaza.
“The proposed delivery of weapons is out of the question and is not negotiable“, the person responsible told the news agency France Presse (AFP), on condition of anonymity.
Israel and Hamas concluded on Thursday in Egypt one for the first phase of the plan. The ceasefire came into force on Friday, providing for release of hostages held in Gaza within 72 hours in exchange for 1700 prisoners held by Israel. This phase of the truce between Israel and Hamas also involves the partial withdrawal of the Israeli Army to the so-called “yellow line” demarcated by the United States, the dividing line between Israel and Gaza.
The agreement is based on a plan announced at the end of September by Donald Trump to end two years of war in Palestinian territory. The second phase of this, at the center of the differences between Israel and Hamas, concerns the disarmament of the Islamic movement, the exile of its fighters and the continuation of Israel’s gradual withdrawal from Gaza.
This Friday, Trump expressed confidence that the ceasefire that came into force on Friday in Gaza “will hold” and said that the Israeli hostages will be released by Monday — the deadline agreed for Hamas to do so.
Israeli authorities have regrouped the Palestinian prisoners who will be released in the exchange with the hostages still held in Gaza. The agreement provides for Israel to release 250 Palestinian prisoners, as well as 1,700 Gazans detained after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, but who were not involved in the attacks, including all women and children detained in that context.
By this Saturday afternoon, more than 500 thousand people had to the north of the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into force.
