Hamas said on 3 Aug 2025 that it will not lay down its arms until an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state is created, effectively rejecting a key Israeli demand for ending the 22-month war in Gaza. “The resistance and its weapons will not be abandoned until our full national rights are restored,” the group declared. The announcement was a direct rebuttal to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who told families of Israeli hostages that Hamas had shown willingness to demilitarize. Hamas dismissed Witkoff’s remarks as “theatrical,” accusing Washington of providing political cover for what it describes as Israel’s starvation tactics in the enclave. Israel maintains that Hamas’s disarmament is a prerequisite for any cease-fire or post-war governance plan. Tensions escalated further on 7 Aug after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled readiness to extend the ground campaign and install an external security force in Gaza. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan responded that any such force would be treated as an occupying power and warned Israel would “pay a high price” for a full takeover. Hamdan added that Hamas is prepared for a comprehensive prisoner exchange if Israel halts its offensive and withdraws from Gaza. Indirect cease-fire and hostage negotiations, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, remain stalled amid a worsening humanitarian crisis. Gaza health authorities say more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, while thousands remain buried under rubble. International agencies continue to warn of famine as aid deliveries struggle to reach the territory.