Hamas is refusing to disarm, threatening to derail the Egypt-mediated reconciliation agreement

Hamas is refusing to disarm and has instead “vowed to expand its military activities against Israel into the West Bank, The Associated Press reports. The group’s demilitarization was one of the main demands Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party made in the Egypt-mediated reconciliation agreement. However, a senior Hamas official says the group’s weapon arsenal is “not [up] for debate or talk.” The issue “threatens to derail” Egypt’s reconciliation efforts as disagreements between Fatah and Hamas continue to intensify, the newswire says. Following Hamas’ statement, an Egyptian security delegation arrived in Gaza yesterday to “bridge the gaps” between Hamas and Fatah in the reconciliation and power handover agreement, Xinhua reports.