The Gaza ceasefire came into effect in October but is yet to move to its next stage
Hamas has rejected the disarmament plan of a top figure in President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace efforts, a senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations has told the BBC.
He accused Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on the US-led Board of Peace, of bias towards Israel. Last month, Mladenov outlined a framework for Gaza’s demilitarisation as part of the second phase of the ceasefire deal agreed by Hamas and Israel in October.
The official said Hamas told regional mediators that it would not engage in talks on the second phase until Israel fully implemented the terms of the first phase.
Israel has said it will not move forward without progress on Hamas’s disarmament.
A Hamas delegation in Cairo was due to meet Egypt’s intelligence chief on Tuesday before departing.
The first phase of Trump’s peace plan halted the war, returned all Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and saw Israeli forces withdraw partially from Gaza.
