Hamas says it will not disarm in Gaza before Israel withdrawal

A senior Hamas official has said that the Palestinian movement will not take any steps toward disarmament before Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.

Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera that Israel would have no role in the disarmament process. Instead, it is set to be carried out by a Palestinian national committee. 

The armed group has largely abided by a ceasefire agreement that came into effect in October last year, as Israel continues a sustained bombing campaign in violation of the agreement, killing more than a thousand Palestinians and injuring many more.

According to the AFP news agency, Hamas sources said that the Palestinian technocratic committee established by the Board of Peace to govern Gaza will be "the sole entity" overseeing the process of managing and storing the group's weapons.

In separate comments to Reuters, Hamas reiterated that the handover of weapons was contingent on the withdrawal of Israeli forces, along with the increased flow of aid and goods into the territory

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