Hamas has rejected a disarmament proposal for Gaza put forward by Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on the U.S.-led Board of Peace, according to a senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations. The rejection came as a Tuesday deadline loomed for the group to accept the plan, stalling progress toward the second phase of President Donald Trump's Gaza peace initiative.

The ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, 2025, marked the first phase of the plan. It included the release of all living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of phase two in mid-January 2026, aiming for Gaza's demilitarization, a full Israeli withdrawal, and large-scale reconstruction.

Mladenov outlined the disarmament framework last month, calling for Palestinian armed groups to decommission weapons in exchange for reconstruction aid. He told the UN Security Council that laying down arms would break cycles of violence and enable Israeli withdrawal and rebuilding. The plan envisions a phased process over eight months, including tunnel destruction and staged weapon handovers, overseen by the Board of Peace.

Hamas insists it will not discuss disarmament until Israel completes phase one obligations, such as full withdrawal to ceasefire lines, reopening crossings like Rafah, ensuring aid and commercial goods entry, restoring electricity, and enabling a Palestinian technocratic committee to govern. A senior Hamas official accused Mladenov of bias toward Israel and said weapons are tied to Palestinian self-determination, not partial deals.

The group's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, echoed this stance. Spokesman Abu Obeida called disarmament demands "an overt attempt to continue the genocide against our people," rejecting talks before Israel's full phase one compliance. Hamas has proposed an alternative: a three-year timeline starting with heavy weapons storage while retaining light arms for self-defense until Gaza elections.

Israel maintains it will not fully withdraw without Hamas disarmament. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the group it will be disarmed "either the easy way or the hard way." Both sides accuse each other of ceasefire violations, with Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reporting 757 deaths from Israeli action since the truce began, amid over 72,330 total fatalities since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages.

Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey have mediated in Cairo, where a Hamas delegation met Egypt's intelligence chief on Tuesday. Mladenov noted broad mediator support for the plan. With reconstruction stalled and the Tuesday deadline approaching, the fragile truce faces renewed risks.