Hamas Official: We Are Ready to Discuss the Issue of "Freezing or Storing" Weapons

SadaNews - A senior official in Hamas stated today (Sunday) that the movement is ready to discuss the issue of "freezing or storing" its arsenal of weapons as part of its ceasefire agreement with Israel, thus providing a potential formula for resolving one of the most complicated issues in the agreement brokered by the United States.

The comments were made by Bassem Naeem, a member of the movement's political bureau responsible for decision-making, as the parties prepare to move to the second, more complex phase of the agreement.

Bassem Naeem told the Associated Press in the Qatari capital, Doha, where most of the movement's leadership resides: "We are open to adopting a comprehensive approach to avoid further escalation, or to prevent any clashes or other explosions."

Naeem clarified that Hamas retains "its right to resistance," but added that the movement is prepared to lay down its arms in a process aimed at achieving the establishment of a Palestinian state. Although Naeem did not go into details on how this would be implemented, he suggested a long-term truce lasting 5 to 10 years to allow for discussions.

Naeem emphasized that "this time must be taken seriously and comprehensively," adding that "(Hamas) is very open" regarding its options concerning its weapons. He continued: "We can talk about freezing or storing or throwing away the weapons, with Palestinian guarantees that they will not be used at all during the ceasefire or truce period."

The ceasefire is based on a 20-point plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump in October, with international parties acting as "guarantor countries." Naeem pointed out that "the plan needs a lot of clarification."

One of the most pressing concerns currently is the issue of deploying an international stabilization force.

One of the key issues is whether this force will be responsible for disarming Hamas.

Naeem confirmed that this would be unacceptable to Hamas, which expects the force to monitor the implementation of the agreement. He added: "We welcome a UN force to be near the borders, monitoring the ceasefire agreement, reporting violations, and preventing any potential escalation." He added: "But we do not accept that these forces are granted any kind of mandate to disarm within Palestinian territories."

In a sign of progress, Naeem clarified that "(Hamas) and its rival, the Palestinian Authority, have made progress regarding the formation of a new technocrat committee that will manage daily affairs in Gaza."

He stated that the authority and the movement agreed on a minister from the Palestinian government who resides in the West Bank but is originally from Gaza to head the committee.

Naeem did not disclose his name, but officials from Hamas, speaking on condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to discuss the negotiations, indicated that this minister is Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan.