A senior Hamas negotiator has suggested the terror group will not surrender its weapons unless Israel withdraws entirely from Gaza, complicating U.S.-led efforts to solidify a lasting peace under the Trump administration’s 20-point plan to end the two-year conflict.

In an interview published Sunday, Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’s lead negotiator, claimed the group’s weapons are “linked to the presence of the occupation and aggression.” He added that “if the occupation ends, these weapons will be transferred to the state.”

It remains unclear what entity Al-Hayya was referring to — whether an envisioned Palestinian governing authority to be formed under international supervision, or another body yet to be established. His comments also left uncertain how Hamas defines “the occupation,” a term that some Palestinian leaders use to refer broadly to the State of Israel’s existence, rather than its military presence in specific territories.

Israel has demanded that Hamas disarm as part of any postwar settlement, a stance strongly backed by Washington. U.S. officials have said that disarmament is a non-negotiable condition for Gaza’s transition to international oversight and reconstruction under the peace plan.

Al-Hayya’s remarks underscore the widening gap between Hamas’s political posture and the expectations set by Israel and the United States, raising new doubts about whether the terrorist group is prepared to accept the framework for a post-conflict Gaza.

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