Bassem Naim, an official in Hamas’ political wing, speaks in Istanbul, Turkey, Dec. 5, 2024. AP-Yonhap
DOHA, Qatar — Hamas is able to focus on “freezing or storing” its arsenal of weapons as a part of its ceasefire with Israel, a senior official mentioned Sunday, providing a attainable components to resolve one of many thorniest points within the U.S.-brokered settlement.
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ decision-making political bureau, spoke as the perimeters put together to maneuver into the second and extra difficult section of the settlement.
“We’re open to have a complete strategy with a purpose to keep away from additional escalations or with a purpose to keep away from any additional clashes or explosions,” Naim instructed The Related Press in Qatar’s capital, Doha, the place a lot of the group’s management is situated.
The deal halted a two-year Israeli offensive in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault. Requested whether or not the assault was a mistake, Naim defended it as an “act of protection.”
For the reason that truce took impact in October, Hamas and Israel have carried out a sequence of exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. With solely the stays of 1 hostage nonetheless held in Gaza — an Israeli policeman killed within the Oct. 7 assault — the perimeters are making ready to enter the second section.
The brand new section goals to put out a future for war-battered Gaza and guarantees to be much more tough — addressing such points because the deployment of a world safety pressure, formation of a technocratic Palestinian committee in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory and the disarmament of Hamas. A global board, led by President Donald Trump, is to supervise implementation of the deal and reconstruction of Gaza.
The Israeli demand for Hamas to put down its weapons guarantees to be particularly tough — with Israeli officers saying it is a key demand that might maintain up progress in different areas. Hamas’ ideology is deeply rooted in what it calls armed resistance in opposition to Israel, and its leaders have rejected calls to give up regardless of over two years of warfare that left massive components of Gaza destroyed and killed tens of hundreds of Palestinians.
Naim mentioned Hamas retains its “proper to withstand,” however mentioned the group is able to lay down its arms as a part of a course of aimed toward resulting in the institution of a Palestinian state. He gave few particulars on how this would possibly work however steered a long-term truce of 5 or 10 years for discussions to happen.
“This time must be used severely and in a complete means,” he mentioned, including that Hamas is “very open minded” about what to do with its weapons.
“We will discuss freezing or storing or laying down, with the Palestinian ensures, to not use it in any respect throughout this ceasefire time or truce,” he mentioned.
It isn’t clear whether or not the provide would meet Israel’s calls for for full disarmament.
The ceasefire is predicated on a 20-point plan introduced by Trump, with worldwide “guarantor” nations, in October.
The plan, adopted by the U.N. Safety Council, supplied a normal means ahead. But it surely was imprecise on particulars or timelines and would require painstaking negotiations involving the U.S. and the guarantors, which embrace Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.
“The plan is in want of a whole lot of clarifications,” Naim mentioned.
One of the vital speedy issues is deployment of the worldwide stabilization pressure.
A number of nations, together with Indonesia, have expressed a willingness to contribute troops to the pressure, however its actual make-up, command construction and duties haven’t been outlined. U.S. officers say they anticipate “boots on the bottom” early subsequent yr.
One key query is whether or not the pressure will tackle the problem of disarmament.
Naim mentioned this is able to be unacceptable to Hamas, and the group expects the pressure to watch the settlement.
“We’re welcoming a U.N. pressure to be close to the borders, supervising the ceasefire settlement, reporting about violations, stopping any type of escalations,” he mentioned. “However we don’t settle for that these forces have any type of mandates authorizing them to do or to be applied contained in the Palestinian territories.”
Displaced Palestinians stroll via a muddy pathway between tents arrange amid destroyed buildings in Jabalia, within the northern Gaza Strip, Dec. 7. AP-Yonhap
In a single signal of progress, Naim mentioned Hamas and the rival Palestinian Authority have made progress on the formation of the brand new technocratic committee set to run Gaza’s every day affairs. He mentioned they’ve agreed upon a Palestinian Cupboard minister who lives within the West Financial institution, however is initially from Gaza, to go the committee. He didn’t give the title, however Hamas officers, talking on situation of anonymity to debate the negotiations, have recognized him as Well being Minister Majed Abu Ramadan.
Each Israel and Hamas have accused one another of repeated violations of the deal in the course of the first section.
Israel has accused Hamas of dragging out the hostage returns, whereas Palestinian well being officers say over 370 Palestinians have been killed in continued Israeli strikes because the ceasefire took impact.
Israel says its strikes have been in response to Palestinian violations, together with the motion of Palestinians into the Israeli-held half of Gaza. Three troopers have been killed in clashes with about 200 Hamas militants that Israeli and Egyptian officers say stay holed up underground in Israeli-held territory.
Naim mentioned Hamas was “not conscious” of those gunmen when the ceasefire was signed, and that communications with them have been “completely lower.”
“Subsequently, they aren’t aware of what’s occurring now on the bottom,” he mentioned.
He claimed that Israel has rejected Hamas gives to resolve the standoff and added quite a few “circumstances” to their give up. Israel has not acknowledged the negotiations and says it has killed a number of dozens of them.
Naim mentioned Hamas is dedicated to “fulfilling its obligations” and claimed that Israel has fallen in need of key pledges, together with not flooding Gaza with humanitarian provides and failing to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
A lot of the provides getting into Gaza, he mentioned, are items for personal retailers to promote to the few folks in Gaza with cash, leaving lots of poor folks struggling with out meals or shelter.
Final week, Israel mentioned it was able to reopen Rafah — Gaza’s fundamental gateway to the skin world — however just for folks to go away the strip. Egypt and the Palestinians worry it is a plot to expel Gaza’s Palestinians and say Israel is obligated to open the crossing in each instructions.
The Oct. 7 assault killed over 1,200 folks and took over 250 others hostage. It’s the deadliest assault in Israel’s historical past and stays a supply of nice nationwide trauma.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 70,000 Palestinians, in accordance with native well being officers, displaced almost all of Gaza’s 2 million folks and induced widespread injury that may take years to rebuild. It stays unclear who pays for the reconstruction or when it is going to start.
The Palestinian Well being Ministry, a part of Gaza’s Hamas authorities, doesn’t distinguish between civilians and militants, however says that roughly half of the lifeless have been girls and kids.
Naim acknowledged the Palestinians have paid a heavy value for Oct. 7 however when requested if the group regrets finishing up the assault, he insisted it got here in response to years of Israeli insurance policies going again to the warfare surrounding Israel’s institution in 1948.
“Historical past didn’t begin on Oct. 7,” he mentioned. “Oct. 7 for us, it was an act of protection. We’ve accomplished our obligation to lift … the voice of our folks.”
