Two senior Hamas officials yesterday firmly rejected any proposal for the disarmament of the movement or other Palestinian factions, stating that Hamas will soon submit an official response to the latest Israeli proposal following internal consultations with other factions in Gaza, Al-Aqsa TV reported.
Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas figure, told the channel: “The resistance’s weapons represent the life of the Palestinian people and cannot be relinquished under any circumstances.”
“The movement will not negotiate over its weapons or over those who bear them at any stage.”
Mardawi stressed that the disarmament demand was “a purely Israeli proposal and did not come from the Egyptian side,” describing any discussion of the clause as “entirely unacceptable.”
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, also told Al-Aqsa TV that the movement would not disarm. He said, “Resistance will continue as long as the occupation exists. Accepting partial deals in return for food and water while military operations persist is now a thing of the past.” He underlined that Hamas is prepared to engage in negotiations for a comprehensive agreement.
Naim clarified that such an agreement must include “a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the opening of border crossings, the start of a comprehensive reconstruction process, and a prisoner exchange agreement that ensures the release of all prisoners in an honourable deal.”
There has been no response so far from the Israeli side or the mediators regarding this position, while international efforts continue in pursuit of a ceasefire deal amid ongoing stalled negotiations.