{
  "id": 38973,
  "title": "‘We believe Hamas will not disarm,’ Israeli-backed militia figure in Gaza tells ‘Post’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/we-believe-hamas-will-not-disarm-israeli-backed-militia-figure-in",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-02T10:54:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-904304"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Palestinian source in Gaza, allied with Israeli-backed militias, has stated that Hamas is not planning to disarm its weapons, dismissing the plan as \"empty talk\". This is because, for Hamas, weapons are essential for their survival and power. If they disarm, they believe they will lose their existence. Hamas has agreed to store its weapons with the Palestinian technocratic committee, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), but sources in Gaza are skeptical. The militia-affiliated Gaza source claims Hamas is only buying time to maintain its power. However, some Palestinians express cautious optimism that the agreement may be a step towards a better future for post-war Gaza. The militia-affiliated source argues that if Hamas truly disarms and stops ruling Gaza, they might consider participating in the new arrangements. However, they insist that disbanding Israeli-backed militias could lead to reprisals from Hamas, as these militias are seen as traitors. The militia-affiliated figure also believes Israel will continue to support them, despite the current distrust from the Palestinian public.",
  "summary": "A Gaza resident, affiliated with an Israeli-backed militia, expressed concerns that dismantling armed militias could discourage locals from working with Israel, fearing they might be abandoned.\n\nThe Israeli military reported killing two Hamas commanders in air strikes on Friday and Saturday in Gaza. According to the Israeli military, Salem Jamal Abd al-Rahman Abu Labad, a Hamas Nukhba special forces cell commander, was killed in southern Gaza on Saturday, and had participated in the October 2023 attack. Muhammad Abd al-Nasser Muhammad Khatib, a Hamas Maghazi Battalion commander, was killed in a separate air strike in central Gaza on Friday.\n\nThe National UAE reported on a deal for the disarmament of Hamas and other groups in Gaza, announced by US President Donald Trump as part of a 20-point peace plan. The UAE welcomed the agreement, seeing it as a major step towards ending the conflict and paving the way for a political process leading to sustainable peace. However, there was no confirmation of this deal in the other reports.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}