Hamas will not initiate any substantive steps toward surrendering its weapons until Israel officially and explicitly accepts the Phase Two roadmap for ending the war in Gaza.
The condition was delivered during a meeting in the coastal city of El Alamein on Sunday between a Hamas delegation led by Khalil Al-Hayya, US presidential adviser Jared Kushner, and international mediators, two senior officials from the Palestinian group told Al Manassa following high-level talks in Egypt.
The talks aimed to advance the transition to the second phase of the Gaza war cessation agreement, even as unresolved disputes over Palestinian arms and the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces continue to stall implementation.
A senior Hamas leader told Al Manassa that the meeting was “very positive and good,” affirming that the movement remains committed to US President Donald Trump’s plan as long as Israel complies.
However, the official emphasized that Hamas refuses to execute core obligations—chiefly regarding its weaponry—without a clear, public commitment from Israel.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official revealed that Kushner proposed launching practical steps toward what the US adviser framed as “disarmament.”
The Hamas delegation rejected the phrasing, insisting on the term “handing over weapons” to match the text of the roadmap. Under that agreement, Palestinian factions are to hand over their arms to the newly proposed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, rather than to Israel.
Hamas urged the US administration to pressure Israel into issuing an official endorsement of the Phase Two roadmap rather than relying on verbal assurances from Washington, insisting that compliance must be mutual and simultaneous.
In response, Kushner pledged to work toward obligating Israel to halt daily targeting and assassinations across the strip, while securing the entry of essential food and medical supplies over the coming days.
Hamas views an immediate end to Israeli military incursions and targeted killings as a prerequisite for entering Phase Two, pointing to Israel’s failure to honor its commitments under Phase One of the cease-fire agreement.
In an official statement released after the meeting, Hamas confirmed its approval of the Phase Two roadmap under the Trump plan. The group stated that its endorsement is grounded in securing a permanent cease-fire, achieving a complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation military from Gaza, guaranteeing humanitarian aid delivery, activating the administrative committee, and initiating reconstruction.
The movement called on international mediators and the US-backed Peace Council to compel Israel to abide by its Phase One obligations, cease military attacks, formally accept the roadmap, and establish a firm timetable for execution.
The El Alamein talks follow a direct declaration one week ago by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the 15-point roadmap proposed by Trump’s “Board of Peace.”
Netanyahu stated that Israeli occupation forces would not pull out of Gaza without the “complete disarmament of Hamas,” while reiterating his absolute rejection of a Palestinian state in either Gaza or the West Bank.
Netanyahu’s stance highlights the fundamental rift delaying Phase Two. While the roadmap establishes a synchronized, phased sequence where Palestinian weapons are handed over in tandem with a gradual Israeli military withdrawal, Netanyahu demands total Palestinian disarmament before any troop withdrawal begins.
Under the roadmap outlined in the Trump plan, Phase Two begins with consolidating the cease-fire, opening border crossings, and implementing the humanitarian protocol.
This is to be followed by the establishment of an international verification mechanism and the deployment of an international force to stabilize the enclave, oversee the transitional period, and supervise reconstruction.
Regarding arms, the plan specifies that the collection process must be Palestinian-led with international oversight. Weapons are to be gathered and secured inside the Gaza Strip under the authority of the National Committee for Gaza Administration, with no arms being turned over to Israel.
A second senior Hamas leader emphasized that the political significance of the El Alamein meeting extended beyond specific technical details, describing Kushner’s direct engagement with Hamas leadership as a “major political gain for the resistance.”
The official stated that the talks signal US recognition of the necessity of dealing with Hamas in post-war governance arrangements.
The second official told Al Manassa that Israel and unnamed Arab entities are attempting to undermine the meeting’s outcomes by leaking fabricated reports about the discussions.
The source added that talks yielded a shared expectation that concrete progress may be delayed until after the Israeli elections in October and the US midterm elections in November.
Hamas negotiators pressed the US envoy and mediators to immediately force Israel to stop targeted assassinations and pull back its ground forces to the “Yellow Line”—the demarcation boundary established when active fighting halted last October.
In a parallel meeting in El Alamein, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Kushner alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaty and General Intelligence Chief Hassan Rashad. El-Sisi stressed that all parties must strictly adhere to their obligations under the Gaza war cessation agreement.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump urged an immediate end to Israeli strikes on Gaza in an interview with FOX News on Monday. Trump stated that Israel should not be conducting raids in Gaza at this time, adding that negotiators have made "positive progress toward disarming Hamas."
Hamas welcomed Trump’s comments, describing them as “confirmation of Trump’s commitment to the cease-fire path.”
