The head of Hamas for Gaza says he is ready to hand over his weapons to a future Palestinian authority in Gaza if the Israeli occupation ends. Khalil al-Hayya says he accepts a UN force to oversee a ceasefire, but refuses any mission aimed at disarming him.

Published on: 06/12/2025 - 22:15

The second step of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, which has not yet been approved, calls for the disarmament of Hamas.

However, Hamas declared on Saturday, December 6, that it was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority governing this territory, on condition that its occupation by the Israeli army ceases.

“Our weapons are linked to the existence of occupation and aggression,” Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas leader for Gaza and main negotiator for the Palestinian Islamist movement, said in a statement. He added: “If the occupation ends, these weapons will be placed under the authority of the state.”

See alsoDespite the ceasefire in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis remains serious

Questioned by AFP, Khalil al-Hayya's office clarified that he was talking about a sovereign and independent State of Palestine.

Rejection of imposed disarmament

“We accept the deployment of UN forces as separation forces, responsible for monitoring the borders and ensuring respect for the ceasefire in Gaza,” added Khalil al-Hayya, thus clearly signifying his movement's refusal of the deployment of an international force in the Gaza Strip whose mission would be to disarm it.

After two years of devastating war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, the mediating countries – Qatar, the United States and Egypt – reached a ceasefire agreement, which entered into force on October 10.

But this ceasefire can only be considered complete after the total withdrawal of Israeli forces, declared Saturday Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar, mediator in the conflict between the occupied Palestinian territory and the Jewish state.

With AFP

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