Hamas said it will not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem (al-Quds) as its capital.

The resistance group said it was issuing a statement "in response to media reports quoting US envoy Steve Witkoff, claiming [Hamas] has shown willingness to disarm".

It continued: "We reaffirm that resistance and its arms are a legitimate national and legal right as long as the occupation continues.

"This right is recognized by international laws and norms, and it cannot be relinquished except through the full restoration of our national rights - first and foremost, the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Hamas also condemned a visit by Witkoff and Mike Huckabee to an aid distribution center in Gaza on Friday as "nothing more than a premeditated staged show".

Hamas said the trip was "designed to mislead public opinion, polish the image of the occupation, and provide it with political cover for its starvation campaign and continued systematic killing of defenseless children and civilians in the Gaza Strip".