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Palestinian group Hamas has told mediators that it will not discuss giving up arms without guarantees that Israel will fully quit Gaza as laid out in a disarmament plan from US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace", three sources told Reuters.Hamas's disarmament is a sticking point in talks to implement Trump's plan for the Palestinian enclave and cement an October ceasefire that halted two years of full-blown war.A Hamas delegation met with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Wednesday and Thursday to give their initial response to a disarmament proposal presented to the group last month, two Egyptian sources and a Palestinian official said.Hamas conveyed several demands and amendments to the board's plan, including an end to Israeli violations, implementation of all provisions and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, the two Egyptian sources told Reuters.Hamas accuses Israel of breaking the ceasefire with attacks that have killed hundreds in Gaza.Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting imminent attacks by militants.The sources said that Hamas also sought clarification about what it described as Israel's continued expansion of areas under its control.Israel retained control of well over half of Gaza after the ceasefire.The sources said Hamas does not want to discuss disarmament before those issues are addressed.Two Hamas officials declined to comment on the content of the meetings.Israel's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Representatives for the Board of Peace did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Another source with direct knowledge of the Board of Peace's thinking said that Hamas's response meant that talks over the group laying down its arms were unlikely to immediately lead to a breakthrough.The source said Hamas was supposed to meet with mediators again next week.The US may move forward with reconstruction absent Hamas disarmament, but only in areas under complete Israeli military control, the source said.Funding pledges important for reconstruction, many of which were from Gulf Arab states, were being held up during the Iran war, the source added.The Palestinian official close to the talks said Hamas was unlikely to reject the plan out of hand but "it will not say yes until the remarks and demands of Palestinian factions are addressed”.Israel says it will not agree to withdraw from Gaza unless Hamas is fully disarmed first.Trump's top Board of Peace envoy in the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, said in a social media post on Wednesday that all mediating parties had endorsed the plan."(The) international community has supported it, now is the time to agree to the framework for its implementation. For the sake of both Palestinians and Israelis, there is not time to lose," Mladenov said in a post on X.The events of October 7, 2023 in Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.Israel's ensuing two-year campaign killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gazan health authorities, and has spread famine, demolished most buildings, and displaced most of the territory's population, in many cases numerous times. 

Qatar participated in the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament held in Geneva.Qatar was represented at the event by Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Delegation of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva Jawhara bint Abdulaziz al-Suwaidi.Al-Suwaidi affirmed that the international system is going through a critical phase marked by the increasing number of armed conflicts, declining commitment to international law and the Charter of the UN, rising polarisation and geopolitical competition, as well as the acceleration of nuclear modernisation programmes and the integration of emerging technologies into military systems, in addition to the growing risks of the weaponisation of outer space.She stressed that these developments place the disarmament and non-proliferation architecture before unprecedented challenges.Al-Suwaidi expressed Qatar's strong condemnation of the continued Israeli aggression and crimes committed against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, including the targeting of civilians and vital facilities, the imposition of restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and the use of heavy and internationally prohibited weapons.She explained that 2026 represents an important milestone for the global nuclear order with the convening of the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which constitutes the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and the fundamental basis for pursuing nuclear disarmament. She stressed that disarmament is not merely a political option, but a humanitarian, security, and developmental necessity.Al-Suwaidi affirmed that the establishment of a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction remains an urgent priority to enhance regional security and stability, reiterating Qatar's support for UN efforts in this regard.The Deputy Permanent Representative of Qatar in Geneva renewed Qatar's commitment to the principles and objectives of disarmament and nuclearnon-proliferation, the promotion of international security, and its support for international mechanisms aimed at disarmament, given their essential role in strengthening peace and security at both the regional and international levels.  

Qatar has stressed the importance of full and complete implementation of all international conventions and treaties related to the prohibition and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction of all kinds, to maintain the safety of future generations and protect the planet.This came in a statement delivered by Ahmed Abdullah al-Obaidly, a member of the Qatari delegation participating in the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, before the First Committee of the General Assembly during its 80th session, on the item entitled 'Other Weapons of Mass Destruction', at the UN Headquarters in New York.Al-Obaidly explained at the beginning of the statement that the existence and use of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, threatens the security of states and the safety of peoples and violates fundamental human rights, foremost among which is the right to life.He noted that this danger increases with the possibility of non-state actors obtaining these weapons and their means of delivery. He pointed out that Qatar, at the national level, continues to develop and update national legislation related to weapons of mass destruction, in line with its obligations under the international conventions to which it has acceded.He explained that Qatar co-operates closely with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and is working to strengthen its role in supporting the implementation of the convention. He added that Qatar is currently hosting the 12th Annual Meeting of Representatives of the Chemical Industry and National Authorities of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, from Oct 21 to 24 in Doha, with the aim of enhancing co-operation between the chemical industry and national authorities to support the full and effective implementation of the convention.He expressed Qatar's welcome to the adoption by the Executive Council of the OPCW, at its 110th session, of the resolution entitled "The Accelerated Destruction of Any Remaining Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic," which was adopted by consensus among Member States.He said that Qatar, as the state representing the interests of Syria within the OPCW, had submitted the draft resolution to the Executive Council in support of the international community's efforts to eliminate any remnants of chemical weapons and promote constructive cooperation between States Parties and the OPCW.The resolution was co-sponsored by more than 50 countries. The statement indicated that Qatar, in support of regional efforts to exchange knowledge and raise awareness of the importance of disarmament, organized and hosted three sessions of the Arab Forum on Arms Control, Disarmament, and Non-Proliferation, the last of which was held in Doha from June 4 to 6, 2024.Al-Obaidly said that Qatar hosted a regional training course for national focal points on the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention at the UN House in Doha in 2024, with the aim of enhancing the implementation of the Convention and exchanging information and expertise between national focal points and stakeholders in the Middle East and North Africa.

The State of Qatar has affirmed its commitment to international mechanisms and measures aimed at disarmament, particularly regarding nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, in a bid to promote peace and security at both regional and international levels. This came in the State of Qatar's statement delivered by Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, during the general debate of the UN General Assembly's First Committee at its 80th session, held at UN headquarters in New York. The Second Secretary of Qatar's Permanent Mission emphasized that the proliferation of conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction — including nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons — continues to pose a threat to nations and peoples, violating fundamental human rights. He noted that this threat has grown in recent times due to the persistence of armed conflicts in various parts of the world, amid a lack of consensus and effective arrangements to resolve or limit them, including efforts related to conflict prevention and peacebuilding. He stressed that avoiding the negative consequences of armed conflicts requires the international community to intensify efforts to strengthen disarmament strategies at all levels — including for small arms and light weapons. In this regard, he underscored that the effective implementation of agreements on monitoring and tracing these weapons, and combating their illicit trade and trafficking, contributes to curbing their spread and mitigating the intensity of conflicts. He expressed the State of Qatar's condemnation of the Israeli occupation forces' targeting of civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip — including hospitals, schools, and refugee camps — stressing that such attacks have led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and the loss of tens of thousands of civilian lives. He warned that these actions pose a serious threat to international peace and security, particularly in the Middle East. The State of Qatar has called for an immediate ceasefire and for the unhindered delivery of humanitarian and relief aid and essential supplies to all those in need throughout Gaza, he said. He also reiterated the State of Qatar's welcome of the United Nations Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. He expressed support for the Kingdom of Morocco's presidency of the conference's sixth session — due to conclude at the end of November — and voiced hope for full regional cooperation to ensure the success of the conference and its goals of strengthening regional and global peace and security. The Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations emphasized that the State of Qatar attaches great importance to the implementation of treaties and agreements on nuclear non-proliferation, the prohibition of nuclear weapons, and the prevention of their use, testing, or threat of use. He further noted that Qatar is updating its national laws and procedures on disarmament and non-proliferation in line with its international commitments.