Jerusalem/Tel Aviv, August 2, 2025: Hamas has firmly rejected claims by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff that the group is willing to disarm in exchange for an end to the ongoing war in Gaza, calling the assertion false and reiterating its demand for an independent Palestinian state as a prerequisite for laying down arms.
Witkoff made the remarks during a meeting on Saturday in Tel Aviv with families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, according to Haaretz. In a recording of the meeting, Witkoff can be heard saying that “Hamas has said that they are prepared to be demilitarised,” and that “multiple Arab governments are now demanding Hamas demilitarise.”
“We are very, very close to a solution to end this war,” Witkoff told the families.
“We don’t believe that Hamas speaks for the people… We believe that they have very little political support.”
In a strongly worded statement issued later in the day, Hamas denied making any offer to disarm and said that its “armed resistance” would only end with the full restoration of Palestinian national rights.
“Our armed resistance cannot be relinquished except through the full restoration of our national rights, foremost among them the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” the group stated.
The response highlights the widening gap between Hamas and U.S.-backed Israeli efforts to secure a comprehensive ceasefire and end the conflict, which has raged since October 2023 and left over 60,000 Palestinians dead, including more than 18,000 children.
The controversy follows the recent collapse of U.S.- and Israeli-led ceasefire negotiations with Hamas. Talks, which had reportedly made significant progress according to mediators, stalled after the U.S. and Israel abruptly withdrew last week.
Sources cited by The Times of Israel revealed that Hamas negotiators in Doha made it clear they would not return to the table unless urgent humanitarian concerns in Gaza—particularly the worsening famine—were addressed.
In a statement issued Thursday, Hamas said it was ready to “immediately re-engage in negotiations once aid reaches those in need and the humanitarian crisis and famine in Gaza are brought to an end.”
Israeli officials, however, appear to have shifted their position. A senior official at a media briefing said Israel would no longer pursue “partial deals,” indicating a significant departure from the previously discussed phased ceasefire framework.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reinforced this stance at a far-right conference, declaring that the only acceptable deal would involve the complete disarmament and exile of Hamas, along with the unconditional return of all captives.
The latest comments suggest that both Washington and Tel Aviv are now prioritizing a comprehensive resolution to the conflict, abandoning the phased or incremental approaches once on the table.
Whether such an outcome is achievable remains unclear, particularly given Hamas’ insistence on sovereignty, the scale of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and the growing distrust between negotiating parties.
