Hamas has rejected a Gaza disarmament proposal from a top Trump peace envoy, a senior Palestinian official told the BBC, accusing Nickolay Mladenov, the US-led Board of Peace’s Gaza representative, of favoring Israel in recent negotiations.
Mladenov outlined Gaza’s demilitarization framework last month as phase two of the October ceasefire deal. However, Hamas told regional mediators it will not discuss phase two until Israel fully implements phase one terms, with Israel insisting it cannot advance without progress on the Palestinian group‘s disarmament. Consequently, negotiations remain deadlocked since mid-January.
Hamas Lists Non-Negotiable Demands
The first phase halted fighting, freed Israeli hostages, and enabled partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Nevertheless, Hamas demands a clear timetable for Israel’s remaining phase one obligations before any phase two discussions begin. “We are waiting for Mladenov to provide a clear timetable for Israel to fulfil the remaining obligations of phase one, along with guarantees to halt Israeli violations, before any discussion of phase two begins,” a senior Hamas official told the BBC.
Furthermore, Palestinian factions view weapons issues as tied to comprehensive self-determination solutions, not partial arrangements. Hamas also seeks full Israeli withdrawal and international protection forces to safeguard civilians.
Reconstruction Hinges on Disarmament Dispute
Hamas lists critical phase one requirements: completing military withdrawals, reopening all crossings, allowing sufficient aid entry, enabling Gaza’s technocratic administration, restoring electricity, and rehabilitating hospitals. Moreover, the group rejects Mladenov’s vision because it links all issues to disarmament without financial support for recovery. “Mladenov’s vision aligns with the Israeli position,” a second Hamas official stated, noting reconstruction efforts remain stalled.
Mladenov previously told the UN Security Council that militant groups laying down arms would break Gaza’s violence cycles. “For the people of Gaza, the implications are profound: Israeli military withdrawal and reconstruction at scale,” he said. He framed the choice as “a renewed war, or a new beginning.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas that Israel would disarm the group “either the easy way or the hard way.” The conflict erupted after Hamas’s 7 October, 2023 attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages. Since then, Israeli military action has killed more than 72,330 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
