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Hamas officials on Saturday dismissed a key provision of President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, declaring the militant group's disarmament "out of the question," even as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for ceasefire efforts.
"The proposed weapons handover is out of the question and not negotiable," a Hamas official told AFP.
The rejection targets the second phase of Trump's 20-point plan, which calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons in exchange for amnesty and safe passage out of Gaza. The U.S. president has indicated the disarmament issue would be addressed after the initial ceasefire phase.
Speaking in Rize, a Black Sea city where his family has roots, Erdogan said Türkiye "fully support[s] any project that will permanently stop the massacre and genocide that has been happening in Gaza for two years."
The Turkish leader praised Hamas for showing "a wise and determined attitude, indicating their readiness for peace," while urging Israel to honor the ceasefire agreement and end what he called aggressive regional policies.
The initial phase of Trump's plan took effect Friday at noon local time, following the president's Wednesday announcement that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement. The phase includes the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
Erdogan credited Trump and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar — which he termed "brotherly nations" to Türkiye — for supporting the negotiations that led to the deal.
"Thus, after two years of oppression, genocide, destruction, and brutality, for the first time, even if with a heavy heart, we are seeing smiles return to the faces in Gaza," Erdogan said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called Saturday for international forces to deploy in Gaza to guarantee an end to the Israeli military campaign. During a phone call with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, Sisi emphasized the ceasefire agreement should receive international legitimacy through the UN Security Council, according to a presidency statement.
Egypt has worked for two years alongside Qatar and the United States to broker an end to the conflict, Sisi said. He announced plans to host an international conference on Gaza's recovery and reconstruction, and invited Christodoulides to attend a signing ceremony for the ceasefire agreement. Cairo has yet to announce the date and details of the ceremony.
The plan's second phase calls for establishing new governance in Gaza without Hamas participation and creating a security force composed of Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic nations. The 20-point proposal promises amnesty to Hamas members who decommission their weapons and allows them to leave Gaza.
Erdogan called for a two-state solution as "the key to lasting peace in our region," saying it would be "the most beneficial path for all people in the region — Muslims, Christians, and Jewish people alike."
Israeli military operations in Gaza, launched in October 2023, have killed over 67,600 Palestinians in the enclave, according to local health authorities. Most victims have been women and children, and the territory has been rendered largely uninhabitable.
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