As reported by The New Arab, a senior Hamas official has rejected an Israeli ultimatum demanding that the group surrender its weapons in the Gaza Strip within 60 days, warning that pressure and threats will not force the movement to disarm while the territory remains under occupation. According to The New Arab, the rejection came after an Israeli government representative linked the ultimatum to the possible resumption of large-scale military operations in Gaza if Hamas did not comply within the specified period.
According to coverage by Al Jazeera, Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs publicly stated that Hamas “will have to give up all of its weapons, including rifles,” and indicated that the 60-day timeframe was connected to requests from the United States administration. As reported by several regional outlets, including Daily Sabah and Middle East Monitor, Fuchs suggested that if the ultimatum did not succeed, the Israeli military would “complete the mission,” a phrase widely interpreted as a threat to reignite full-scale war in Gaza.
According to Middle East Monitor, Hamas issued a statement rejecting what it described as a reported deadline conveyed in Israeli media, stressing that it would not accept any arrangement that required surrendering its weapons under occupation or external pressure. The group framed its arsenal as part of what it calls the “resistance” against Israeli control, and insisted that security arrangements in Gaza must be addressed as part of wider political negotiations and guarantees, not unilateral ultimatums.
As reported by Al Jazeera and other outlets, the ultimatum emerged in the context of a US-backed ceasefire that has significantly reduced, but not completely halted, Israeli military operations in Gaza since late 2025. According to these reports, the ceasefire’s second phase is expected to address the future of Hamas’s armed wing and discuss possible international mechanisms, including a peacekeeping or monitoring presence, but no final agreement on disarmament has yet been reached.
What Are the Main Reactions and Statements?
According to Al Jazeera’s reporting on the episode, senior Hamas figure Mahmoud Mardawi said in a televised interview that he was not formally aware of such an ultimatum and dismissed the Israeli statements as political “threats” linked to ongoing negotiations rather than a binding, agreed framework. As reported by Al Jazeera, Mardawi warned that attempts to impose conditions through military pressure or deadlines would have “serious repercussions for the region,” and reiterated that “the Palestinian people will not surrender.”
Middle East Monitor notes that Hamas’s official response emphasized that any talk of disarmament while Gaza remains under Israeli occupation is unacceptable to the movement and to its political leadership abroad. According to that outlet, Hamas stressed that its weapons are linked to what it describes as the Palestinian people’s right to resist occupation, and argued that disarming under current conditions would make Palestinians “an easy victim to be eliminated,” echoing earlier comments by exiled political leader Khaled Meshaal.
On the Israeli side, Daily Sabah and other media report that Fuchs told a Jerusalem conference that Israel would “evaluate” the situation over the 60 days, and, if Hamas did not comply with disarmament demands, the Israeli army would be called upon to resume large-scale operations to “complete the mission.” According to Yeni Safak’s account of his remarks, Fuchs also said the timeline was being coordinated with Washington and might be aligned with a scheduled meeting of US President Donald Trump’s advisory “Board of Peace,” underlining the role of US mediation in shaping the calendar.
Regional media outlets further report that Hamas’s rejection of the ultimatum follows a wider pattern in which the group has rebuffed calls for full disarmament without reciprocal political concessions. As reported by Arab News, a senior Hamas leader earlier in February stated that the movement would not surrender its weapons or accept any form of “foreign rule” in Gaza, signaling that the organization views its armed capability as central to its political position in any future arrangements.
Supporting Details and Wider Background
According to Israeli and regional media cited by Middle East Monitor and Daily Sabah, the ultimatum was issued against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire that halted a prolonged Israeli campaign in Gaza, which has caused extensive destruction and heavy civilian casualties since late 2023. Reports from outlets such as Al Jazeera and Yahoo News indicate that Gaza’s Health Ministry has recorded tens of thousands of Palestinian fatalities since the beginning of that campaign, including many children, and that hundreds more have been killed in alleged violations of the ceasefire.
According to Middle East Monitor, the current phase of negotiations, involving indirect contacts mediated by international actors, is expected to address several interconnected issues, including prisoner exchanges, reconstruction funding, and future security arrangements in Gaza. Within this framework, disarmament or reconfiguration of Hamas’s military wing has been presented by Israel and some international parties as a key condition for any long-term stability or easing of restrictions on Gaza, but Hamas has publicly rejected any steps that would amount to unilateral surrender of its arsenal.
As reported by Yeni Safak and Daily Sabah, Israeli officials have portrayed the 60-day timeframe as an opportunity for Hamas to choose between what they describe as “peace” through disarmament and the risk of renewed conflict if the group maintains its weapons. At the same time, Al Jazeera and other outlets note that Hamas leaders argue that previous Israeli military operations and ongoing restrictions have eroded trust, making them reluctant to disarm without firm, enforceable guarantees on ending occupation, lifting the blockade, and preventing future attacks.
According to Arab News, the broader Hamas leadership outside Gaza, including figures based in Doha, has repeatedly insisted that any political arrangement must preserve Palestinian self-governance in Gaza and the West Bank and avoid scenarios that place the territory under an international, Arab, or Israeli security mandate that sidelines Palestinian factions. In this context, the rejection of the latest ultimatum fits into a long-standing Hamas position that its weapons are not merely tactical assets but part of its claim to represent an armed resistance movement.
What Are the Implications and Possible Next Steps?
According to reporting by Al Jazeera and Middle East Monitor, Hamas’s refusal to accept the 60-day deadline raises questions about whether Israel will seek to follow through on the threat to resume full-scale military operations in Gaza if disarmament does not occur. Analysts quoted in regional media suggest that any renewed offensive would risk further civilian casualties and could destabilize regional diplomacy, but the outlets also note that Israeli officials have not provided detailed public criteria for judging whether Hamas has complied or how the deadline will be measured.
According to Yeni Safak, Fuchs indicated that Israeli authorities might align the start of the countdown with a US meeting on the Gaza file, underscoring Washington’s continued role in shaping timing and parameters of the ceasefire process. However, Middle East Monitor reports that there has been no official public confirmation from Hamas or US officials regarding acceptance of the ultimatum framework, leaving the status of the deadline and its enforcement mechanisms unclear.
Future steps are expected to depend heavily on diplomatic contacts and internal Israeli decision-making, as reported by multiple outlets following the ultimatum. According to Al Jazeera, the second phase of the ceasefire plan includes discussions on possible international or regional security arrangements in Gaza, but Hamas’s categorical rejection of surrendering its weapons indicates that any such arrangement would need to find alternative formulas, such as monitoring, storage, or integration of armed factions, to move forward.
As reported by Arab News and other regional media, Hamas leaders continue to link any security steps in Gaza to progress on broader political issues, including occupation, Palestinian statehood, and control over borders and reconstruction. According to these outlets, the group’s rejection of the Israeli ultimatum signals that disarmament under current conditions remains off the table, and that the coming weeks will likely focus on whether international mediators can narrow gaps between the positions of Israel, Hamas, and other stakeholders without triggering a renewed escalation.
In summary, according to The New Arab and corroborating regional reports, Hamas has firmly rejected an Israeli 60-day ultimatum to surrender its weapons in Gaza, framing the demand as incompatible with continued occupation and its role as an armed resistance movement. Israeli officials, citing coordination with the United States, have warned that failure to comply could lead to renewed full-scale war, leaving the ceasefire’s durability and the future of Gaza’s security arrangements contingent on sensitive negotiations and decisions in the weeks ahead.
