Israeli War Minister Claims Egypt Demanded Hamas Disarmament — Hamas Responds Firmly

In a statement that contradicts earlier reports, Israeli War Minister Yisrael Katz claimed that Egypt, for the first time, has conditioned a ceasefire and end to the war on Gaza on the complete disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip.

Katz made the announcement on his official account on X (formerly Twitter), stating:

“There is immense pressure on Hamas to accept the deal. For the first time, Egypt has stipulated that ending the war requires the dismantling of Hamas’ weapons and the disarmament of Gaza.”

This declaration challenges previous claims by Egyptian-aligned media that Egypt merely conveyed the Israeli proposal without originating it.

Regarding humanitarian aid, Katz bluntly declared:

“Israel’s policy is clear—no humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza. Blocking aid is a key pressure tool to prevent Hamas from leveraging it among civilians. No preparations are being made to allow aid.”

He also added that future aid mechanisms must rely on private companies to ensure that Hamas has no access to humanitarian relief infrastructure.

Hamas Responds from Tehran:

Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas representative in Tehran, responded by stressing:

“Any ceasefire proposal that does not consider the legitimate rights and interests of our people is not viable.”

Speaking at a political forum hosted by the Society for the Defense of the Palestinian People, Qaddoumi stated that there is a national consensus among Palestinians and resistance factions:

• • No agreement will be accepted without a complete halt to aggression,

• • A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and

• • A serious prisoner exchange deal.

Cairo News Channel’s Retraction:

The situation was further complicated when Egypt’s Cairo News Channel deleted a report published two days earlier which stated that Egypt alone had delivered the Israeli proposal—including the disarmament clause—to Hamas.

In the revised version, the channel added Qatar as a joint party, stating:

“Egypt and Qatar received an Israeli proposal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza and for beginning negotiations that could lead to a permanent ceasefire.”

The updated report noted that both Egypt and Qatar had presented the proposal to Hamas and were awaiting its official response.

Hamas Reiterates Its Red Lines:

In a separate statement, Hamas confirmed it had received the proposal through mediators and was reviewing it responsibly with high national concern, promising to deliver a reply after internal consultations.

The movement reaffirmed its unchanging demands:

• • A permanent ceasefire

• • Complete withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza

• • A genuine prisoner exchange

• • Reconstruction of Gaza

• • An end to the illegal blockade

A senior Hamas official revealed that Egypt’s proposal explicitly demanded disarmament in exchange for a 45-day truce and the release of half of Israeli captives in the first week, in return for limited food and shelter aid.

The official stated:

“Our delegation was surprised to see that the proposal conveyed by Egypt included a clear clause demanding disarmament of the resistance.”

“Egypt informed us that no ceasefire deal is possible unless we negotiate on disarmament.”

But Hamas responded unequivocally:

“We told Egypt: the starting point of any agreement is ending the war and securing a withdrawal. The issue of resistance weapons is non-negotiable. Our weapons are a legitimate right of our people.”

Online Response: “Our Weapons, Our Dignity”

News of the disarmament clause stirred strong backlash across social media. Palestinians and supporters of the resistance launched the hashtag #سلاحنا_كرامتنا (“OurWeapons_OurDignity”), resurfacing historic quotes from Palestinian leaders affirming the sanctity of armed resistance.

Others dismissed the disarmament proposal as “a tasteless joke”, mocking the occupation’s demand amid its ongoing failure to subdue Gaza despite months of relentless bombardment.