Hamas is ready to fight if war resumes in Gaza and rejects proposals to leave the territory provided for in US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, a senior official told AFP on Saturday.
Politburo member Hossam Badran also predicted tough negotiations ahead, suggesting the key issue of disarmament could be a sticking point for the Palestinian militant group.
He was speaking in Doha – where Israel struck a Hamas meeting last month, killing six people – as a ceasefire is in effect in Gaza ahead of Monday’s deadline for the release of Israeli hostages captured during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
However, many elements of US President Donald Trump’s proposal have still not been accepted, including the disarmament of Hamas and plans for post-war governance.
“Disarmament, out of the question”
The disarmament of Hamas, as part of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, is “out of the question”, a Hamas official told AFP on Saturday.
“The proposed weapons surrender is out of the question and is not negotiable,” the official said.
The American president indicated that the question of the surrender of Hamas weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan.
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The 20-point plan promises amnesty to Hamas members who decommission their weapons and says they will be allowed to leave Gaza.
The Hamas official was speaking as a ceasefire is in force in Gaza ahead of the 72-hour deadline set Monday for the release of Israeli hostages held since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
The disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces are seen as key sticking points for Trump’s plan, despite growing hopes of ending two years of devastating war.
On October 1, Hamas officials said they wanted amendments to clauses of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, including those related to disarmament.
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Hamas negotiators, in their talks with Turkish, Egyptian and Qatari officials in Doha, outlined their conditions a day before issuing the statement.
Trump’s plan called for the disarmament of the group and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. But Hamas sources said they were seeking to change clauses on disarmament and expulsion of Hamas and faction members.
Hamas also said it wanted “international guarantees for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip” and assurances that no assassination attempts would be made inside or outside the territory.
