Hamas Says Ready to Disarm If ‘Occupation Ends,’ Mediators Push for ISF Formation
The Palestinian movement Hamas signaled its readiness to give up arms to a future Palestinian authority only if Israel ends its occupation of the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, mediators Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye called for the implementation of the next phases of the ceasefire agreement, which includes Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza and the formation of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) to maintain security.
Hamas Disarmament Condition
Hamas on Saturday set its condition to give up its arms, as one of the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed in October 2025. In a statement, the Palestinian group’s chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said that Hamas was ready to hand over its weapons to a future Palestinian authority but only if the Israeli military ends its occupation of Gaza.
“Our weapons are linked to the existence of the occupation and the aggression. If the occupation ends, these weapons will be placed under the authority of the state,” he said, according to AFP. Al-Hayya’s office clarified that he was referring to a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.
However, Hamas’ Gaza chief signaled objection to the deployment of an ISF in Gaza, favoring forces working under the umbrella of the UN. “We accept the deployment of UN forces as a separation force, tasked with monitoring the borders and ensuring compliance with the ceasefire in Gaza,” al-Hayya noted.
Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
In November 2025, the UN adopted a US-drafted resolution which endorses President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza. The resolution – backed by Arab and Muslim countries – authorizes the establishment of an ISF in Gaza, which will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, in addition to ensuring the disarmament of Hamas and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Moreover, the resolution authorizes the formation of a transitional governing body known as the “Board of Peace,” which will supervise and support a Palestinian technocratic, apolitical committee, oversee funding coordination, and establish the blueprint for Gaza’s reconstruction.
It also charts the path for a possible Palestinian State by adopting a stronger language on Palestinian self-determination, stating that upon the completion of the Palestinian Authority’s reforms and Gaza redevelopment, “the conditions may be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
Next Steps in Gaza
The Gaza ceasefire agreement’s guarantors, the US, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, have been intensifying efforts to proceed with the next phase of the deal, particularly Israel’s full withdrawal and the deployment of the ISF.
The first phase included the release of all Israeli living and deceased hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, as well as Israeli troops’ withdrawal behind a designated “yellow line” within Gaza.
In this context, the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, highlighted the significance of moving ahead with the next phase in order to uphold the agreement.
Speaking at the Doha Forum annual conference, he said: “Now we are at the critical moment. What we have just done is a pause. We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire. A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the Israeli forces (and) there is stability back in Gaza.”
He added that mediator countries are “getting together in order to force the way forward for the next phase,” noting that “this next phase is just also temporary from our perspective.”
ISF Needed in Gaza
The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, echoed a similar tone. Speaking at the Doha Forum, Abdelatty pointed to the urgency of deploying the ISF in Gaza. “We need to deploy this force as soon as possible on the ground because one party, which is Israel, is every day violating the ceasefire,” he said.
The US said that many countries have shown interest in joining the ISF, including Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Azerbaijan and Pakistan, but they asked for a UN mandate for the force, while some countries voiced concern over ending up fighting Palestinian elements.
ISF Mission
During the forum, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, said that discussions on the ISF were underway, highlighting sticking issues such as the force’s command structure and participant countries.
In the light of this, Fidan suggested that the ISF’s main objective should be “to separate Palestinians from the Israelis” – an idea backed by his Egyptian counterpart, who called for the deployment of the ISF along the yellow line to verify and monitor the ceasefire.
Türkiye has signaled readiness to contribute to the ISF, but Israel has strongly opposed the involvement of Turkish troops in Gaza.
Moreover, the Turkish Foreign Minister pointed out that there are priorities in Gaza other than disarming Hamas. “We need to put things in (their) proper order, we have to be realistic,” Fidan said.
He also urged Trump to intervene to stop Israeli violations in Gaza, which put the agreement at risk. “If they don’t intervene, I’m afraid there is a risk the plan can fail. The amount of daily violations of the ceasefire by the Israelis is indescribable at the moment and all indicators are showing that there is a huge risk of stopping the process,” Fidan warned.
