Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ decision-making political bureau, spoke as the sides prepare to move into the second and more complicated phase of the agreement.
“We are open to have a comprehensive approach in order to avoid further escalations or in order to avoid any further clashes or explosions,” Naim told The Associated Press in Qatar’s capital, Doha.
Since the truce took effect in October, Hamas and Israel have carried out a series of exchanges of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners. With only the remains of one captive still held in Gaza, the sides are preparing to enter the second phase.
The new phase aims to lay out a future for war-battered Gaza and promises to be even more difficult –- addressing such issues as the deployment of an international security force, formation of a technocratic Palestinian committee in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory and the disarmament of Hamas. An international board, led by President Donald Trump, is to oversee implementation of the deal and reconstruction of Gaza.
Naim said Hamas retains its “right to resist” the Israeli occupation but said the group is ready to lay down its arms as part of a process aimed at leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state. He gave few details on how this might work, but suggested a long-term truce of five or 10 years for discussions to take place.
“This time has to be used seriously and in a comprehensive way,” he said, adding that Hamas is “very open minded” about what to do with its weapons.
“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,” he said.
The ceasefire is based on a 20-point plan presented by Trump, with international “guarantor” nations, in October.
The plan, adopted by the U.N. Security Council, offered a general way forward. However, it was vague on details and timelines, and will require painstaking negotiations involving the U.S. and the guarantors, which include Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.
“The plan is in need of a lot of clarifications,” Naim said.
One of the most immediate concerns is the deployment of the international stabilization force.
Several countries, including Indonesia, have expressed a willingness to contribute troops to the force, but its exact makeup, command structure and responsibilities have not been defined. U.S. officials say they expect “boots on the ground” early next year.
One key question is whether the force will take on the issue of disarmament.
Naim said this would be unacceptable to Hamas, and the group expects the force to monitor the agreement.
“We are welcoming a U.N. force to be near the borders, supervising the ceasefire agreement, reporting about violations, preventing any kind of escalations,” he said. “But we don’t accept that these forces have any kind of mandates authorizing them to do or to be implemented inside the Palestinian territories.”
In one sign of progress, Naim said Hamas and the rival Palestinian Authority have made progress on the formation of the new technocratic committee set to run Gaza’s daily affairs. He said they have agreed upon a Palestinian Cabinet minister who lives in the West Bank, but is originally from Gaza, to head the committee. He did not give the name, but Hamas officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, have identified him as Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan.
First phase complications
Since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the US, went into effect, Tel Aviv has committed hundreds of violations, killing over 370 Palestinians and wounding hundreds during that period.
Naim said Hamas is committed to “fulfilling its ceasefire obligations” and accused Israel of falling short of key pledges, including not flooding Gaza with humanitarian supplies and failing to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Most of the supplies entering Gaza, he said, are goods for private merchants to sell to the few people in Gaza with money, leaving masses of poor people struggling without food or shelter.
Last week, Israel said it was ready to reopen Rafah -– Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world -– but only for people to leave the strip. Egypt reaffirmed that the Rafah border crossing will remain open only for humanitarian and medical aid entering the Gaza Strip and will not be used as a route for the displacement of Palestinians.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 70,000 Palestinians and wounded overt 173,000, mostly women and children, and displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2 million people, and caused widespread damage that will take years to rebuild.
Naim acknowledged the Palestinians have paid a heavy price for October. 7 operation, but he insisted it came in response to years of Israeli occupation policies going back to the 1948 war.
“History didn’t start on Oct. 7,” he said. “Oct. 7 for us, it was an act of defense. We have done our duty to raise … the voice of our people.”
*This story was edited by Ahram Online
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