Hamas has firmly rejected any suggestion that it is prepared to disarm, stating it will only consider doing so once an “independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital,” is established.
The statement came in response to recent media reports citing U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, which claimed the group had expressed willingness to give up its weapons.Â
Hamas has denied these claims, dismissing them as false and politically motivated.
In a statement released Saturday, the group criticized Witkoff’s recent visit to Gaza aid centers as “staged,” accusing the U.S. administration of attempting to “mislead public opinion, whitewash Israel’s actions, and provide political cover for what it describes as a systematic campaign of starvation and civilian casualties.”
Hamas also accused the United States of being complicit in what it describes as a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, citing over 1,300 civilian deaths caused by Israeli military operations, according to figures it provided.
The group called on Washington to focus its efforts on securing a ceasefire, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza, and lifting the longstanding blockade, rather than, in its words, “supporting Israeli violations.”