Discussing Hamas's disarmament before the first phase of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal is fully implemented is an attempt to continue "a genocide against the Palestinian people," the terror organization said in a Sunday statement.
According to Hamas, Israel "calls for an illusory peace through brute force, spreading destruction across the entire region."
In a televised statement, Hamas' armed wing spokesperson Abu Ubaida said raising the issue of weapons “in a crude manner” would not be accepted.
The issue of Hamas relinquishing its weapons is a major obstacle in talks to implement US President Donald Trump’s proposed "Board of Peace" plan for Gaza, aimed at cementing a ceasefire that halted two years of full-scale fighting last October.
Hamas has told mediators it will not discuss disarmament without guarantees that Israel will completely quit Gaza, three sources told Reuters last week.
Hamas urges mediators to pressure Israel
"What the enemy is trying to push through today against the Palestinian resistance, via our brotherly mediators, is extremely dangerous," he said.
He said the disarmament demands were "nothing but an overt attempt to continue the genocide against our people, something we will not accept under any circumstances."
It was not immediately clear whether the comments amounted to a formal rejection of the US-backed disarmament plan, and Hamas political officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Since the ceasefire took effect, Hamas and Israel have repeatedly accused each other of violating its terms.
Ubaida urged mediators to pressure Israel to fulfil its commitments under the first phase of the Trump plan before any discussion of the second phase can take place.
"The enemy is the one who undermines the agreement," he said.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on his remarks.