DOHA, October 5. /TASS/. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi has refuted media reports that the group has allegedly agreed to lay down arms under US President Donald Trump’s plan for settling the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

"Mahmoud Mardawi has denied false allegations by the Al Hadath television channel and other media outlets on the progress in the [Gaza] ceasefire talks and the movement’s position on the issue of the surrender of arms," Hamas said on its Telegram channel. "These allegations are absolutely ungrounded and are reared to discredit [Hamas’] position and mislead the public."

Earlier in the day, the Al Arabiya and Al Hadath television channels reported, citing their sources, that Hamas had notified the United States that it agreed to lay down arms.

On September 29, the White House unveiled the US president’s "comprehensive plan" to resolve the Gaza conflict, consisting of 20 points. The proposal includes temporary external administration of the enclave and the deployment of international stabilization forces. Israel has voiced its support for the plan.

On October 3, Hamas handed over its response to Trump’s proposal to the mediator. It expressed readiness to release all living Israeli hostages held in the enclave and hand over the bodies. The movement also confirmed its willingness to turn over the responsibility of running Gaza to a Palestinian body of independent technocrat politicians. However, Hamas noted that the remaining points of Trump’s plan regarding the future of Gaza should be discussed within a "comprehensive Palestinian national framework."

A new round of indirect Israel-Hamas talks will take place in Egypt on October 6.