GAZA CITY, Palestine: Hamas’s armed wing said on Monday it would not surrender its weapons until Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza, 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, and they will not surrender, even if they fight with their fingernails,” 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.
“Since the ceasefire, Israeli occupation forces have crossed every red line, while the resistance fulfilled its obligations with full responsibility, prioritizing the interests of our people and denying the occupation pretexts,” the new spokesman said as quoted by Quds News Network.
Breaking | The new spokesperson of Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, appears for the first time in a recorded statement, announcing the killing of senior leaders, including Mohammed Sinwar, Mohammed Shabana, Raed Saad, Hakam Issa (Abu Omar), and Hudhaifa al-Kahlout (Abu… pic.twitter.com/cbsTwBT60u
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 29, 2025
Trump is expected to push for progress in the stalled ceasefire in Gaza when he meets with Netanyahu on Monday for talks.
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.
For Gaza, Israel and Hamas agreed in October to Trump’s plan to end the war.
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.
Israel has indicated that if Hamas is not disarmed peacefully, it will resume military action to make it do so.
Although the ceasefire officially began in October, Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 Palestinians – most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials.
