Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem says that linking the issue of disarming Hamas and other Palestinian organizations to US President Donald Trump’s plan for post-war arrangements in Gaza is contrary to the plan.
Qassem described this demand as “a clear bias toward the Israeli position and an attempt to cover up the ‘crimes’ against the Palestinians carried out using Israeli weapons."
According to him, the Palestinian weapons are “legitimate" and are intended to protect the Palestinian people, and constitute a right enshrined in the laws and decisions of international institutions.
From Hamas’s perspective, Qassem said, the priority is to implement the first stage of the ceasefire agreement in full, including all of its clauses, some of which have not yet been carried out. He noted that Israel is still imposing restrictions at border crossings, the Rafah crossing remains closed, humanitarian aid is not entering in the agreed quantities, and threats of a renewed military campaign continue.
The Hamas spokesperson emphasized that before discussions on disarming Hamas begin-an issue included in the second phase of the ceasefire agreement-all clauses of the first phase must be implemented, including the entry of a national committee to manage Gaza’s affairs.
“Once the humanitarian aspects are implemented, the crossings are resolved, and the national committee (for governing Gaza) is established, it will be possible to move on to discussing issues related to the second phase, including the issue of weapons or proposals for the deployment of international forces within approaches aimed at implementing comprehensive plans to de-escalate the Strip," Qassem said.