A Hamas official says the group is ready to discuss “freezing or storing” its arsenal of weapons as part of its ceasefire with Israel.

Israel started tightening the noose in May with an effort to flush out militants and destroy the extensive tunnel system where Hamas has hidden fighters, hostages and weapons throughout the conflict. The strategy was to cut off sections of the underground web from one another, said Israeli military officials.

A cease-fire after two years of war with Israel has allowed Hamas to tighten its grip on power again. “It’s still standing,” one Israeli official said.

Hamas is willing to discuss “freezing or storing” its weapons, a senior official said on Sunday, amid concerns that the nascent ceasefire deal between Israel and the militant group could collapse.

Dec. 8, 2025 – 03:23 – Cuellar pushes back on Trump, Israel-Hamas ceasefire phase set to begin, Trump orders probe into food affordability

A senior Hamas official says the group is ready to discuss “freezing or storing” its stockpile of weapons as part of the ceasefire deal to end Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip. The overture came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said several key issues still needed to be resolved before he’d commit to the second phase of the U.

Gaza militias emerge as Hamas regroups during ceasefire, with Palestinian fighters forming new forces to challenge the group's control in the territory.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters on Saturday that not advancing the U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire plan to its next stage would be a "huge failure" for the world and Washington, noting that President Donald Trump had personally led the push.