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 partially withdraw from Gaza.
In mid-January, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of phase two of Trump's plan to end the war, but there has been a deadlock between Israel and Hamas since then. The second phase is meant to lead to a permanent end to the war following Gaza's demilitarisation and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Last month, Mladenov laid out a detailed plan for Palestinian armed groups in Gaza to decommission their weapons, linking compliance to the start of reconstruction following Israel's military campaign which devastated the territory.
It was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and 251 people taken hostage.
More than 72,330 people have been killed by Israeli military actions in Gaza since then, including 757 since the ceasefire began on 10 October 2025, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
A senior Hamas official told the BBC: We are waiting for Mladenov to provide a clear timetable for Israel to fulfil the remaining obligations of phase one, along with guarantees to halt Israeli violations before any discussion of phase two begins.
He added that Palestinian factions considered the issue of weapons to be tied to a comprehensive solution that guaranteed the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, rather than partial arrangements.
He noted that Mladenov believed Israel was unlikely to accept the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The official also stated that Hamas and other factions had informed mediators during meetings in Cairo that they would not begin any talks on the second phase without a complete halt to Israeli violations, attacks, killings and the ongoing starvation, as well as full implementation of phase one.
According to officials, Hamas is demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, alongside the deployment of international protection forces to assist local police in protecting civilians.
A second Hamas official provided further details on the remaining requirements of phase one, which include completing military withdrawals, reopening the Rafah crossing, allowing entry of sufficient aid, enabling the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to operate, restoring electricity, facilitating rubble removal, and rehabilitating hospitals and essential services.
He added that Mladenov's vision aligns too closely with the Israeli position, linking all issues to disarmament without financial support for local relief and recovery plans, thus stalling reconstruction efforts, something both Hamas and other factions reject.
Last month, Mladenov told the UN Security Council that the laying down of arms by militant actors would represent a decisive break from cycles of violence that have defined life in Gaza for decades.
He emphasized the profound implications for the people of Gaza, stating that it hinges on Israeli military withdrawal and reconstruction at scale.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously warned Hamas that it will be disarmed either the easy way or the hard way.
