Trump made the remark during a White House cabinet meeting and did not provide evidence for the assertion. Abu Marzouk rejected the premise in remarks aired on Al Jazeera, saying Hamas had not discussed “the weapons yet,” and saying neither the American side nor mediators had spoken to Hamas directly about disarmament. Trump framed demilitarization as the next deliverable after the return of all hostages, saying Hamas must be disarmed as part of the plan. Hamas has treated disarmament demands as a nonstarter in earlier negotiations, calling the idea “a red line” in April 2025. Detailed negotiations on phase two, including demilitarization, are scheduled to begin this week, with public statements from Washington and Hamas still flatly opposed on whether any arms handover has been agreed.