Hamas refuses disarmament until Israeli forces exit Gaza, exposing entrenched power imbalances and stalled peace negotiations
Original framing: “Hamas says it will not disarm in Gaza before Israel withdrawal” — Middle East Eye
The conflict cannot be detached from the 1948 Nakba, subsequent wars, and the ongoing settlement enterprise, which have created a cumulative grievance that informs Hamas's insistence on Israeli withdrawal before any disarmament. Historical scholarship shows that premature disarmament without addressing root causes often leads to renewed violence, as seen in post‑World War I treaties that ignored minority rights.
The refusal to disarm before Israeli withdrawal reflects a deep‑seated asymmetry rooted in historical dispossession, colonial legacies, and contemporary geopolitical interests.
Integrating indigenous land‑care ethics, marginalised civil‑society voices, and cross‑cultural anti‑colonial insights can reshape the negotiation architecture toward a sequenced, rights‑based process. Scientific evidence and future scenario modelling support a phased withdrawal monitored by an empowered joint security council, while economic reconstruction tied to demilitarization creates tangible incentives for peace. Legal accountability mechanisms further cement trust, ensuring that the path to a demilitarized Gaza is anchored in justice rather than coercion.