Hamas armed wing reiterates it ‘will not give up’ arms as Trump set to meet Netanyahu

Hamas’ armed wing reiterated on Monday that it would not surrender its weapons, a key issue expected to feature in talks later in the day between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation remains,” the new spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, who has adopted the name of his late predecessor Abu Obeida, said in a video statement.

Trump is expected to push for progress in the stalled ceasefire in Gaza when he meets with Netanyahu on Monday for talks that will include Israel’s concerns ‍over Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.

Netanyahu said this month that Trump had invited him for talks, as Washington pushes to establish transitional governance and an international security force for the Palestinian enclave against Israeli reluctance to move forward.

Netanyahu, who will meet Trump at his Mar-a-Lago beach club at 1300 local time (1800 GMT), said on December 22 that discussions were expected to cover the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, as well as Iran and Lebanon.

Washington brokered ceasefires on all three fronts, but Israel is wary of its foes rebuilding their forces after they were considerably weakened in the war.

For Gaza, Israel and Hamas agreed in October to Trump’s plan to end the war, which ultimately sees Israel withdrawing from Gaza and Hamas giving up its weapons and forgoing a governing role in the enclave.

The first phase of the ceasefire included a partial Israeli withdrawal, an increase of aid and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian detainees and prisoners.

An Israeli official in Netanyahu’s circle said that the prime minister will demand that the first phase of the ceasefire be completed by Hamas returning the remains of the last Israeli hostage left in Gaza, before moving ahead to the next stages.

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of major breaches of the deal and look no closer to accepting the much more difficult steps envisaged for the next phase.

Hamas, which ⁠has refused to disarm, has been reasserting its control as Israeli troops remain entrenched in about half the territory.

Israel has indicated that if Hamas is not disarmed peacefully, it will resume military action to make it do so.

While the ‌fighting has abated, it has not stopped entirely. Although the ceasefire officially began in October, Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 Palestinians – most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials – and Palestinian militants have killed three Israeli soldiers.