A senior Hamas official, Khaled Meshaal, stated that the Palestinian Islamist group will not surrender its weapons and will reject any form of foreign governance in the Gaza Strip, despite ongoing calls for disarmament from Israel and the United States.
Speaking at a conference in Doha, Meshaal emphasized that Hamas considers its weapons an essential part of what it describes as resistance against Israel in Palestinian territories.
“Criminalizing resistance, its weapons, and those who use them is something we cannot accept,” Meshaal said.
He further argued that armed resistance is justified under occupation, stating:
“As long as there is occupation, there is resistance. Resistance is the right of occupied peoples… It is something nations are proud of.”
Disarmament Remains a Key Dispute
Following the implementation of a ceasefire on October 10, a peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump moved into its second phase in mid-January. The plan aims to permanently end the war between Israel and Hamas and includes the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
However, Hamas — which has governed Gaza since 2007 — has repeatedly declared disarmament a “red line,” although it has not ruled out the possibility of transferring its weapons to a future Palestinian authority under certain conditions.
Israeli officials claim that Hamas still maintains approximately 20,000 fighters and tens of thousands of weapons inside Gaza.
Proposed Transitional Governance Plan
Under the current proposal, governance of Gaza would be temporarily assigned to a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, operating under the supervision of Trump’s proposed Peace Council.
Meshaal urged the Peace Council to adopt a “balanced approach” that would allow for Gaza’s reconstruction and facilitate humanitarian aid flows. Nevertheless, he reiterated Hamas’ strong opposition to any external control.
“Palestinians must be governed by Palestinians. Gaza belongs to the people of Gaza and Palestine. We will not accept foreign domination,” Meshaal concluded.
