Hamas, the Palestinian nationalist group, said it would disarm only if Israeli occupation ends and a sovereign Palestinian state is established. Senior spokesman Khalil al-Hayya said decisions about the movement’s weapons are tied to the presence of Israeli occupation and aggression. AFP reported Israel has demanded Hamas disarm as part of ending the two-year war, and the United States has made progress on a twenty-point plan conditional on surrendering arms. Al-Hayya said that if occupation ends, weapons could be transferred to a state authority, though he did not name one. Hamas also signalled it will not resume direct governance of Gaza after the conflict and rejected Western calls for fighters to disarm immediately. The group insists fighters would surrender arms only after an independent Palestinian state is formed and be integrated into its military. Separately, Hamas agreed to hand administration to a proposed technocratic committee but refused to relinquish weapons.