Hamas official says disarmament only possible when occupation ends
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Hamas official Mohammad Nazzal says the group will only disarm when the Israeli occupation ends, rejecting foreign control or trusteeship over Gaza.
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Displaced Palestinians walk amid destroyed buildings in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, Sunday, October 12, 2025 (AP)
A senior member of the Palestinian movement Hamas, Mohammad Nazzal, said on Sunday that the disarmament of the resistance is inseparable from the continuation of the Israeli occupation, emphasizing that weapons will no longer be needed once the occupation ends.
“The question of whether the movement should have weapons is tied to the occupation, and calls to disarm, lay down arms, or keep them if it ultimately means disarming the resistance are unacceptable,” Nazzal told RIA Novosti.
He added that “the historical memory of peoples and the historical memory of the Palestinian people itself testify that when a person surrenders his weapons to the enemy, the enemy will slaughter him like a sheep, so the possession of weapons is linked to the existence of the occupation. When the occupation ends, there will be no need for weapons.”
Nazzal also revealed that Hamas will present its vision for the post-war administration of the Gaza Strip once negotiations resume, signaling the group’s readiness to engage in future discussions on governance and reconstruction.
Hamas rejects foreign control over Gaza
Commenting on recent proposals to impose an international oversight body or appoint a political figure to govern Gaza, Nazzal firmly rejected what he described as a return to colonial administration.
“We cannot allow the Gaza Strip to return to the old colonial idea of having a high commissioner to govern,” he said. “The Palestinian people have the skills and capabilities to do without high-level envoys. Furthermore, we reject the idea of an international trusteeship over the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people. The Palestinians must govern themselves.”
His remarks came amid reports suggesting that figures such as former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair could be considered for a post-war oversight role in Gaza, a proposal Hamas has denounced as undermining Palestinian sovereignty and resistance achievements.
Arms handover off the table
The disarmament of Hamas as part of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza is "out of the question," a Hamas official told AFP on Saturday.
"The proposed weapons handover is out of the question and not negotiable," the official said, rejecting Trump's statement that the issue of Hamas' disarmament would be addressed in the second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.
According to the 20-point plan, Hamas members who decommission their weapons are promised amnesty and will be allowed to leave Gaza.
This comes as the ceasefire agreement takes hold in the Palestinian enclave, with a sense of normalcy coming back as Palestinians head back to their hometowns after the end of the two-year war on Gaza.
