Itikof: Hamas must disarm, and it has no future in Gaza.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that Hamas must disarm unequivocally, emphasizing that it has no future in the Gaza Strip, following the ceasefire agreement reached under U.S. President Donald Trump's plan.

Witkoff stated during a celebration held in Washington that "upon arriving in Gaza, residents of the area approached him, saying they want peace, stability, opportunities, and a better life for their children," adding that "the people of Gaza must be able to live a dignified life, otherwise there will be no hope for lasting peace."

He continued: "We must be clear: Hamas must disarm unequivocally, and it has no future in Gaza as it once did."

Meanwhile, the head of Hamas in the West Bank, Zahir Jabareen, confirmed on Thursday evening the commitment of his movement to the ceasefire agreement reached with Israel under regional and international sponsorship, and the start of the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Jabareen stated in a televised speech, "We affirm that the movement is committed to implementing the agreement that guarantees the cessation of war and protects our people from aggression, and the beginning of reconstruction, while we reject any form of international guardianship over our people," stressing that "the time has come to give the Palestinian people their right to self-determination and to establish their independent state."

Jabareen explained that "the world today faces a real test, and those who want peace for the region must begin to implement the unified international stance by establishing the Palestinian state, and ending the issue of prisoners, ensuring the release of those remaining in the occupation's prisons without wars."

He emphasized that "the continued imprisonment of prisoners will keep the flames of conflict burning," stressing that the issue of prisoners is "part of the doctrine of struggle against the criminal occupier, carried by heroes from generation to generation, as it is a supreme human and national value."

Addressing the prisoners, he said, "Your freedom is a trust upon our shoulders, and working to liberate you is our pledge to you."

On October 10, the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel began, according to a plan by U.S. President Donald Trump, where the movement released 20 living Israeli prisoners and handed over the bodies of 10 others, while 18 remain.

In return, the occupation released 250 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, and 1,718 arrested from Gaza after October 8, 2023, and handed over the bodies of 120 Palestinians.

More than 10,000 Palestinian prisoners remain in Israeli prisons, suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.