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Hamas Is prepared to discuss “freezing or storing” its arsenal of weapons as part of its ceasefire with israelThe US-brokered agreement offered a possible formula to resolve one of the most thorny issues, a senior official said on Sunday.
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s decision-making political bureau, spoke as both sides prepared to move into a second and more complex phase of the agreement.
“We are prepared to take a comprehensive approach to avoid further escalation or any further clashes or explosions,” Naeem told The Associated Press in the Qatari capital. DohaWhere most of the leadership of the group is located.
This agreement stopped a two-year Israeli offensive GazaLaunched in response to the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. Asked whether the attack was a mistake, Naeem described it as an “act of defense”.
more difficult stages
Since the ceasefire took effect in October, Hamas and Israel have carried out a series of Israeli hostage swaps palestinian Prisoner. With only one hostage still remaining in Gaza – an Israeli policeman killed in the October 7 attack – both sides are preparing to enter phase two.
The new phase aims to carve out a future for war-torn Gaza and promises to be even more difficult – addressing issues such as the deployment of an international security force, the formation of a technocratic Palestinian committee in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area and the disarmament of Hamas. An international board led by President Donald Trump is to oversee the implementation of the agreement and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Israel’s demand for Hamas to give up its weapons promises to be particularly intriguing – Israeli officials say it is a significant demand that could block progress in other areas. Hamas’s ideology is deeply rooted in armed resistance against Israel, and its leaders have rejected calls to surrender despite more than two years of war that has destroyed large parts of Gaza and killed thousands of Palestinians.
Naim said Hamas retained “the right to protest”, but said the group was ready to lay down its arms as part of a process aimed at establishing a Palestinian state. He gave few details about how it might work, but suggested a long-term ceasefire of five or 10 years for discussion.
“This time should be used seriously and comprehensively,” he said. He said Hamas is “very open-minded” about what to do with its weapons.
“We can talk about this ceasefire or not using it at all during the ceasefire, with Palestinian guarantees,” he said.
It is unclear whether this proposal will meet Israel’s demands for complete disarmament.
many questions remain
The ceasefire is based on a 20-point plan presented by Trump with international “guarantor” countries in October.
The plan adopted by the UN Security Council offered a common way forward. But its details or timeline were unclear and would require painstaking negotiations involving the US and the guarantors, which include Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.
“The plan needs a lot of clarification,” Naeem said.
One of the most immediate concerns is the deployment of the International Stabilization Force.
Several countries, including Indonesia, have expressed willingness to contribute troops to the force, but its exact composition, command structure and responsibilities have not been defined. US officials say they hope to have a “breakthrough on the ground” early next year.
A key question is whether the force will take action on the issue of disarmament.
Naim said this would be unacceptable to Hamas and that the group expected the force to monitor the agreement.
“We welcome the UN force to stay near the borders, monitor the ceasefire agreement, report on violations, prevent any kind of escalation,” he said. “But we do not accept that these forces have any mandate authorizing or enforcing this inside the Palestinian territories.”
In a sign of progress, Naim said Hamas and the rival Palestinian Authority have made progress on forming a new technical committee to run Gaza’s daily affairs. He said they had agreed on a Palestinian cabinet minister who lives in the West Bank but is originally from Gaza to lead the committee. He declined to be named, but Hamas officials identified him as Health Minister Majid Abu Ramadan, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks.
Complications of first stage
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeated violations of the agreement during the first phase.
Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the return of the hostages, while Palestinian health officials say more than 370 Palestinians have been killed in sustained Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect.
Israel says its attacks were in response to Palestinian violations, including the movement of Palestinians into the Israeli-occupied half of Gaza. Israeli and Egyptian officials say three soldiers have been killed in clashes with about 200 Hamas militants hiding underground in Israeli-occupied territory.
Naim said that Hamas “did not know” about these gunmen when the ceasefire was signed and that communications with them were “completely cut off”.
“So, he is not aware of what is happening on the field right now,” he said.
He claimed that Israel had rejected Hamas’ proposals to resolve the standoff and added several “conditions” for their surrender. Israel has not acknowledged the negotiations and says it has killed several dozen of them.
Naim said Hamas was committed to “fulfilling its obligations” and claimed Israel had not fulfilled key promises, including not flooding Gaza with humanitarian supplies and failing to reopen the Rafah border with Egypt.
Most of the supplies entering Gaza are goods for private traders, he said, who sell to a few people in Gaza for money, leaving large numbers of poor people struggling without food or shelter.
Last week, Israel said it was ready to reopen Rafah – Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world – but only to people leaving the Strip. Egyptians and Palestinians fear it is a plot to drive out Palestinians from Gaza and say Israel is obliged to open the crossing in both directions.
Naeem called October 7 an ‘act of defense’
More than 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage in the October 7 attack. It is the deadliest attack in Israel’s history and remains a source of great national trauma.
Israel’s counterattack has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, displaced nearly 2 million people from Gaza and caused widespread damage that will take years to rebuild, according to local health officials. It is unclear who will pay for the reconstruction or when it will begin.
The Palestinian Health Ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas government, does not distinguish between civilians and militants, but says about half of the dead were women and children.
Naim acknowledged that Palestinians have paid a heavy price for October 7, but when asked if the group regretted carrying out the attack, he insisted that it came in response to Israeli policies of the war years surrounding Israel’s establishment in 1948.
“History did not begin on October 7,” he said. “For us, October 7 was an act of defense. We have done our duty to raise the voice of our people.”