Hamas emerges as ‘ultimate spoiler’ in Gaza plan as Trump insists terror group will disarm

President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Thursday they judge Hamas volition disarm nether a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire program arsenic it enters its 2nd phase.

But arsenic determination analysts warned the panic radical has nary volition of disarming and could yet artifact Trump’s Gaza plan, Hamas officials besides pushed backmost connected Trump's claim.

Speaking during his 10th Cabinet gathering of his 2nd term, Trump appeared assured the Palestinian Islamist militant radical would propulsion down their weapons.

"And present we privation to get Hamas, nary guns, right? To disarm," Trump said earlier adding, "A batch of radical said they’ll ne'er disarm. It looks similar they’re gonna disarm."

WALTZ HAILS ‘NIGHT-AND-DAY’ MIDDLE EAST SHIFT AS TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN RESHAPES REGION

Steve Witkoff, U.S. peculiar envoy to the Middle East and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, be a luncheon hosted by the president for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu astatine his Mar-a-Lago nine connected Dec. 29, 2025 successful Palm Beach, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Witkoff echoed Trump’s appraisal and told the president the process was already underway.

"We’ve got the terrorists retired of there, and they’re going to demilitarize. They will, due to the fact that they person nary choice," Witkoff said. "They’re going to springiness it up. They’re going to springiness up the AK-47s."

Regional analysts warned the panic radical has nary volition of disarming and could adjacent artifact Trump’s Gaza program altogether.

National information expert Kobi Michael said Hamas "doesn’t mean to disarm itself and ne'er intended to."

"Hamas volition bash each the imaginable and originative maneuvers and manipulations successful bid to support its powerfulness and power successful the Gaza Strip," Prof. Kobi Michael, a elder researcher astatine the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital.

He added that "they don’t truly speech to each different and bash not truly recognize each other," suggesting gaps betwixt the 2 sides.

AFTER TRUMP DECLARES ‘WAR IS OVER,’ HAMAS EXECUTES RIVALS IN GAZA TO REASSERT CONTROL

Terrorists successful the cardinal Gaza municipality of Deir al-Balah observe the ceasefire connected Jan. 19, 2025.  (TPS-IL)

"The Israel Defense Forces are the lone entity that tin disarm Hamas," Michael said, noting that "no 1 too Turkey is consenting to nonstop its troops to the International Stabilization Force successful bid to combat Hamas," referring to the planned unit authorized by the United Nations to oversee information and demilitarization successful Gaza.

Senior Hamas officials flatly contradicted the White House communicative Thursday, according to The Times of Israel.

Hamas person Mousa Abu Marzouk said the radical "never agreed to disarm; nary one’s raised it with america directly," stressing that Hamas remains firmly successful power successful Gaza.

The outlet besides reported that Abu Marzouk indicated Hamas retains a de facto veto implicit appointments to a recently formed technocratic committee meant to govern the Strip.

The committee, announced arsenic portion of Phase Two of Trump’s 20-point Gaza bid plan, is intended to oversee Gaza’s civilian affairs and negociate reconstruction erstwhile the ceasefire stabilizes.

US SEEKS UN AUTHORIZATION FOR GAZA INTERNATIONAL FORCE LASTING THROUGH 2027 UNDER TRUMP PLAN

Hamas officials contradict Trump's disarmament claims amid Gaza ceasefire talks. (REUTERS/Mohammed Salem.)

Witkoff said, "We are successful the 2nd signifier now… we’ve stood up, for the archetypal time, Mr. President, connected your behalf, a technocratic, all-Arab government."

The assemblage is expected to supply basal services to Gaza’s much than 2 cardinal residents, adjacent arsenic the United Nations estimates reconstruction costs volition transcend $50 billion.

But Michael warned the caller operation is susceptible to Hamas manipulation, with the radical apt to exploit immoderate caller setup.

"They volition usage the existing bureaucracy that volition beryllium operated by the technocrats to power and power the mode this authorities volition really run — the Hezbollah model," helium said.

He added that Hamas has already "demanded much time, Israeli unit withdrawals and contiguous reconstruction portion softly preserving its subject capabilities."

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"Trump whitethorn reason that cipher tin disarm Hamas but the Israel Defense Forces," Michael said. "Then it volition go wide that Hamas is the eventual spoiler and is simply a large obstacle successful Trump’s Gaza plan."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the White House for comment.