The talks come as negotiations remain deadlocked over Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s military presence in Gaza. A Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya is expected to attend discussions in El-Alamein.

Hamas said progress was possible if Israel showed willingness to reach an agreement, while reiterating its rejection of disarmament under Israeli conditions.

The meeting follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order for the military to take control of 70% of Gaza, a move Hamas called a violation of the ceasefire.

The statement by Kataeb Hezbollah security chief Abu Mujahid Al-Assaf comes amid heightened tensions following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in late February, a conflict that triggered a series of drone and rocket attacks by factions operating under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against U.S. interests in the country.

Washington responded with strikes on facilities and bases linked to the groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, killing dozens of fighters, according to the organization and regional media reports.

Since assuming office in mid-May, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has pledged to ensure that weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the state, a longstanding objective of successive Iraqi governments seeking to strengthen state authority and limit the influence of armed non-state actors.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Al-Assaf said “militant action is today a collective duty, and we will carry it out on behalf of the brothers who have decided to abandon it,” signaling that the group intends to continue its activities even as some allied factions move toward closer cooperation with state institutions.

While several Iran-backed factions have reportedly agreed to operate under official structures, Kataeb Hezbollah remains among the groups rejecting discussions on disarmament under what it characterizes as U.S. pressure.

Al-Assaf indicated that the organization was prepared to coordinate with other factions that no longer wished to maintain independent arsenals. He said Kataeb Hezbollah could supervise the transfer and storage of weapons and receive specialized systems, including cruise missiles, arguing that state agencies lacked personnel with the necessary expertise to manage such equipment.

The group has consistently linked any discussion of its weapons to the continued presence of foreign troops in Iraq. Kataeb Hezbollah maintains that it will not consider disarmament while international forces remain deployed in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region as part of the U.S.-led coalition established in 2014 to combat Islamic State militants.

The coalition is scheduled to conclude its mission in the Kurdistan region by September, a timeline that has become a key reference point in Iraq’s debate over the future role of armed factions and the country’s security architecture.

The People’s Equality and Democracy Party, known as DEM, played a key role in facilitating renewed dialogue between the Turkish state and the PKK after jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called in February 2025 for the group to lay down arms and pursue a political settlement.

Speaking to party lawmakers in parliament, DEM co-chair Tulay Hatimogullari said the government had failed to build on the momentum created by Ocalan’s appeal and was slowing progress toward a lasting resolution.

“While such a bright outlook lies ahead of us, and we should be moving at full speed toward the goal of peace, the government is acting in a hesitant, timid and stalling manner,” Hatimogullari said.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, halted attacks and announced in May 2025 that it had decided to disband and end its armed insurgency, which has killed more than 40,000 people since it began in 1984.

Ankara, however, has insisted that the group must take further concrete steps and that any disarmament must be independently verified before broader political or legal reforms can proceed.Government officials and Kurdish representatives have repeatedly traded blame over the pace of implementation, with tensions rising more than a year after expectations of a breakthrough first emerged.

In February, a Turkish parliamentary commission overwhelmingly approved a report outlining a roadmap for legal reforms to accompany the PKK’s disbandment, moving the peace process further into the legislative arena.

The conflict has destabilized Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast for decades and has also spilled across borders into northern Iraq and Syria, where Kurdish militant networks remain active.Hatimogullari said prolonged hesitation risked weakening trust and damaging the broader political opening created by recent developments.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has not publicly responded to her latest remarks.

Abbas, 88, did not mince words, referring to Hamas fighters as “sons of dogs” and blaming the group for prolonging the ongoing war in Gaza by giving Israel justification for its continued offensive.

“Sons of dogs, release the hostages and block their justifications,” Abbas declared, adding, “Israel’s military campaign has turned into the Israeli genocide that the Gaza Strip is being subjected to.”

While Israel denies accusations of genocide, asserting its military actions target Hamas in self-defense, Abbas’s remarks underscore a dramatic escalation in tensions between Palestinian factions and a notable shift in his public stance toward Hamas.

A Stark Shift in Tone

Though Abbas has often criticized Hamas, Wednesday’s scathing address marked his most direct public attack. The timing coincides with renewed ceasefire efforts led by regional powers including Egypt, which has proposed disarming Hamas as a step toward peace.

Abbas refrained from explicitly condemning Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel but reiterated his longstanding opposition to violence against civilians and his advocacy for a two-state solution.

“Hamas must end its control over the Gaza Strip, hand over all its affairs to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the legitimate Palestinian National Authority, and refrain from carrying arms,” he said. “It must transform into a political party operating within the framework of international legitimacy.”

Hamas Fires Back

Hamas responded swiftly, rejecting Abbas’s accusations and challenging his legitimacy as Palestinian leader. The group claimed Abbas was shifting blame for Israel’s “crimes” onto the Palestinian people, calling his statements “suspicious and dangerous.”

The bitter rivalry between Fatah—Abbas’s party—and Hamas has long fractured Palestinian politics. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 following a violent power struggle, and repeated reconciliation attempts have failed, despite agreements in Cairo and Beijing involving numerous Palestinian factions.

Internal Rift and International Implications

Abbas accused Hamas of inflicting “severe damage” on the Palestinian cause for independence. “It has provided the occupation with dangerous free services, whether intentionally or unintentionally,” he said. “Hostage-taking gave the criminal occupation one of its most prominent excuses to carry out its conspiracies and crimes in Gaza.”

He renewed his appeal for an international peace conference and the enforcement of existing UN Security Council resolutions, aiming to break the impasse and reignite efforts toward a lasting solution.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and political divisions deepen, Abbas’s sharp rhetoric signals a critical moment in Palestinian politics—and raises new questions about the path forward for both Palestinian governance and the broader conflict.