A Hamas official explained the group was willing to take steps towards disarmament in an effort to progress negotiations on moving into the second phase of President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan.
“We are open to have a comprehensive approach in order to avoid further escalations or in order to avoid any further clashes or explosions,” Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s decision-making political bureau, said. “We can talk about freezing or storing or laying down, with the Palestinian guarantees, not to use it at all during this ceasefire time or truce.”
The Hamas official added that the group retains its “right to resist,” and would disarm as part of the process of creating an independent Palestinian state.
In October, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage exchange. The truce was meant to allow time for the two sides to negotiate a solution to more complex issues, such as the future of Hamas and disarming Gaza.
The IDF has violated the ceasefire nearly every day over the past two months. More than 370 Palestinians have been killed, including scores of children. On Sunday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a three-year-old girl.
While Hamas is seeking compromises, Tel Aviv is signaling it has no intention of upholding Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Under the agreement, Israel pledged not to annex the West Bank. On Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister refused to rule out taking the territory.
Additionally, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said that Israel views the current partition line in Gaza as Israel’s new borders. The peace plan calls for Israel to undergo further withdrawals as the Trump-brokered deal progresses.
