Hamas says not obligated to implement Trump Gaza deal unless Israel accepts it

Hamas says not obligated to implement Trump Gaza deal unless Israel accepts it Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said the group told US envoy Jared Kushner that it would not consider itself obligated to implement any part of president Trump’s Gaza peace deal unless Israel publicly accepts it and begins implementing its obligations, including halting attacks and withdrawing from Gaza. Speaking on an Iraqi podcast, Hamdan, a former representative of Hamas in Lebanon and Iran, said the group had not agreed to surrender its weapons. He said the framework calls for heavy weapons to be restricted and stored under the authority of a Palestinian administrative committee governing Gaza, while remaining in Palestinian hands. No weapons would be transferred to any non-Palestinian party, and no fire would be directed outside Gaza under the agreement, he said. The broader framework includes Israeli withdrawal, lifting the blockade, continued Palestinian governance and security services, and dismantling and disarming collaborator networks. Hamdan said negotiations over collecting and storing heavy weapons would begin only if Israel accepts the full framework. He said agreeing on the practical mechanism would take time. “The ball is now in the occupation’s court and with the mediators,” Hamdan said.