Hamas declares it will not surrender weapons; only Gaza police may bear arms

On June 12, Hamas political bureau member Husam Badran declared that the group will not surrender its weapons at this time, despite repeated disarmament demands. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Badran said the ultimate fate of the military arsenal will be decided after comprehensive discussions with other Palestinian factions.

Badran introduced the concept of a 'hudna' (long-term ceasefire) as a solution to the stalled negotiations. He said: 'When the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) takes over the Gaza Strip, no weapons will appear on the streets and alleys except for the official weapons of the committee, namely the Palestinian police. There will be no more armed displays as we have seen in Gaza.'

However, he stressed this does not mean formal disarmament: 'We are not talking about surrender; we are talking about weapons not being seen, except for the official weapons of the Palestinian police. The details will be discussed within a national framework.'

The statement came as a source indicated Hamas is preparing to send a delegation to Cairo to resume talks later this week. Previously, Hamas had delayed participation to demand Israel halt assassinations, such as the recent killing of two military commanders, Izz al-Din al-Haddad and Mohammed Odeh.

Disarming Hamas and withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza remain the most contentious points in the US-mediated ceasefire plan from October 2025.

Factional consensus in Cairo

The upcoming meetings in Cairo will bring together eight main Palestinian factions to unify a national position. Badran confirmed that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), PFLP-GC, the National Initiative, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), and the Democratic Reform current affiliated with the Fatah movement will attend.

The talks aim to salvage the ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump. Badran noted that Israel has not implemented even 30% of its phase-one obligations, making a transition to subsequent phases impossible. 'We are talking about humanitarian aid, the Rafah crossing mechanism, infrastructure, and assassinations. About 1,000 people have been killed. To say Israel has implemented even 30% is an exaggeration,' Badran said.

Only 150-250 aid trucks enter Gaza daily, instead of the agreed 600, while electricity, hospital, and fuel infrastructure has been completely destroyed.

Disarmament impasse

While Palestinian factions demand implementation of phase-one survival indicators, Israeli officials and Trump-appointed Gaza envoy Nickolay Mladenov of the 'Peace Council' condition a move to phase two on the disarmament of armed groups.

To break the deadlock, Mladenov presented a 15-point 'roadmap' developed by the ceasefire guarantors. During a UN Security Council meeting in May 2026, he stressed the plan is based on reciprocity and verification. 'No Palestinian armed group is required to transfer weapons to Israel,' he said. Disarmament would be gradual, sequenced, Palestinian-led, with all weapons transferred to the NCAG.

Mladenov warned of serious consequences if the roadmap is rejected: 'Reconstruction funding will not come where weapons have not been laid down.' He said that without an agreement, Gaza would be fragmented, with Hamas holding administrative control over less than half the territory.

Negotiation time and Israeli expansion

Palestinians view the 15-point framework as a stalling tactic for Israel to expand its occupation. Palestinian political analyst Wissam Afifa told Al Jazeera: 'They moved from Trump's 20 points to a new square, 15 points, revolving around a single clause: disarmament.' He argued that Palestinian resistance forces are cornered into making major concessions without real guarantees.

According to Afifa, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using the talks to expand control from 60% to 70% of Gaza, while monitoring mechanisms such as the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) have completely failed.

National Committee hurdles

Israel's territorial expansion complicates the power transfer process. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem affirmed the group is ready to hand over all administrative and security responsibilities to the Cairo-based NCAG. However, the NCAG faces major operational hurdles and is considered a 'hostage' to Israeli pressure.

An anonymous NCAG member told Al Jazeera that the committee refuses to operate behind the Israeli-controlled 'Yellow Line' or cooperate with Israeli-backed militias. The committee will not enter Gaza until an International Stabilization Force is deployed in buffer zones separating Israel from Palestinian areas.

Amid the political deadlock, civilian casualties continue to mount. Mladenov acknowledged that ceasefire violations still kill civilians and hinder humanitarian access. Since the ceasefire took effect, Israeli military actions have killed 933 Palestinians and wounded 2,868, raising the total death toll since October 2023 to 72,942, with 172,967 wounded.