Hamas aims to maintain security control in Gaza during a transitional period and cannot commit to complete disarmament, a senior movement official told Reuters, reflecting the difficulties facing the US plan to end the war.
Hamas Political Bureau member Mohammed Nazzal declared that the group is ready for a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild the devastated Gaza, but with guarantees for the future that will depend on providing "hope and horizons for statehood" for the Palestinian people.
In an interview from Doha, where Hamas political representatives have been based for years, Nazzal defended the group's recent actions in Gaza, including Monday's public executions, which he described as "extraordinary measures in wartime" against "criminals convicted of murder."
Pressure for disarmament
Although Hamas has previously expressed similar positions, the timing of Nazzal's statements demonstrates the major obstacles that remain to reaching a full peace agreement in Gaza, just days after the first phase of the ceasefire.
His statements highlight the deep divisions between Hamas' positions and US President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, ahead of negotiations expected to address the issue of Hamas' weapons and how Gaza will be governed in the post-war period.
In a response to Reuters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel is committed to the ceasefire agreement and is implementing its obligations according to plan:
"Hamas must release all hostages in the first phase. It has not done so. Hamas knows where the bodies of our hostages are. According to the agreement, Hamas must disarm. No ifs, no buts. It has not done so. Hamas must adhere to the 20-point plan. Time is running out," the statement said.
Trump's plan, announced on September 29, called for Hamas to immediately return all hostages, before committing to disarmament and handing over Gaza's governance to a technocratic committee overseen by a transitional international body.
