GAZA/JERUSALEM: Hamas has firmly rejected proposals for it to disarm, stating that it will not give up its “right to armed resistance” unless an “independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital” is established. This statement comes as international efforts to revive a two-state solution gain momentum.
In a statement, Hamas reiterated its long-held position that its weapons are a “national and legal right” as long as the Israeli occupation continues. This directly contradicts a recent declaration by France and Saudi Arabia, endorsed by key mediators Qatar and Egypt, which calls for Hamas to hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority as part of a peace plan.
Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, to secure a 60-day ceasefire and a hostage deal ended in deadlock last week. Both sides have traded blame for the impasse, with a primary sticking point being the terms of an Israeli withdrawal and the future of Hamas’s military and political control in Gaza.
Amid the ongoing conflict and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, there is a renewed push from the international community for a two-state solution. A high-level conference at the United Nations, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, saw 17 countries, the Arab League, and the European Union back a declaration urging collective action to end the war and achieve a two-state solution. The declaration explicitly calls on Hamas to disarm and end its rule in Gaza.
Israel considers Hamas’s disarmament a key condition for any deal to end the conflict. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also expressed strong opposition to a fully sovereign Palestinian state, describing it as a platform for the destruction of Israel.
A recent claim by a U.S. special envoy that Hamas was “prepared to be demilitarized” was “firmly rejected” by the group, which labeled the envoy’s visit to Gaza a “staged show” and denied any such agreement.
