“We Will Not Hand Over Our Weapons — We Will Keep Them Safe

“
Gaza — August 2, 2026
Hamas has made clear that all provisions of the Gaza peace agreement are conditional on one another, describing it as a single, complete package. The group said it is incorrect to characterize it as handing over its weapons — the weapons will instead be kept safe, and Hamas will refrain from using them only if Israel upholds its own commitments under the deal.
A day earlier, reports emerged that Hamas had accepted two additional conditions of the agreement proposed through President Trump’s peace council, including one on disarmament — a development the U.S. is touting as a success. Speaking at a White House cabinet meeting, Trump said no one believed a disarmament agreement with Hamas would be possible, and credited the pressure placed on Iran for the breakthrough. However, Trump’s statement leaves out a key part of the deal: the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, which sits at the root of the conflict — and which, according to Hamas, is the actual condition tied to it halting use of its weapons.
Ghazi Hamad’s explanation: Hamas leader Dr. Ghazi Hamad said in a TV interview that the Gaza peace agreement is a complete package and no single part can be implemented separately from the rest. He stressed that Hamas’s compliance depends entirely on Israel fully meeting all of its own obligations, given Israel’s long record of violating agreements. Hamad said Hamas agreed to the deal after extensive consultation with mediators and Palestinian factions, given the dire humanitarian and security situation in Gaza — even though Hamas is not satisfied with it. In his words: “If Israel does not implement the provisions, we will not be bound by our obligations either. That is why we will not hand over weapons to anyone — they will be kept safe.”
Conflicting U.S. and Israeli statements: The U.S. has pledged that Israel will withdraw its forces from Gaza as part of the deal, but Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the agreement unacceptable, writing that every Hamas member has been a legitimate target since October 7 and that targeted killings in Gaza should continue. Separately, the U.S., in a phone call with a mediator held in the presence of a Hamas delegation, guaranteed a principle of reciprocal implementation and said Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu would not be allowed to obstruct it. Sources say Washington has assured it will hold Israel to all its commitments under the deal, including the withdrawal.