Hamas says committed to ceasefire, our arms ‘legitimate, national’
Hamas officials reaffirm commitment to Gaza ceasefire despite "Israel's" violations, citing obstacles in returning captives’ bodies and advancing reconstruction.
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Palestinians walk among destroyed buildings in Gaza City, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 (AP)
Hamas remains committed to the Gaza ceasefire agreement, despite the continuous violations by the Israeli occupation, said Hamas Political Bureau member Ghazi Hamad on Friday, noting that the Palestinian Resistance movement is fulfilling its commitments and is focused on concluding the initial phase of the deal as planned.
In a statement made to Al Mayadeen, Hamad asserted that the occupation is threatening to use force, which is "typical of it," pointing out that its failure to achieve its objectives in the Gaza Strip explains its "savage behavior".
Regarding the issue of the captives' bodies, the senior Hamas official stated that it is a complex matter due to the altered landscape of Gaza and the destruction of numerous sites, which makes recovering the remaining bodies a process that requires both time and specialized equipment and machinery. He said that the mediators have been informed of these obstacles and have "understood our position."
Hamas committed to full adherence to agreement
Hamad also indicated that the movement will return the bodies and is committed to the agreement, clarifying that what is happening now amounts to pressure tactics by the occupation through threats and stalling, a method of pressure he described as "unacceptable".
He further clarified that the movement's teams have so far documented 28 civilian fatalities from occupation gunfire, in addition to "numerous violations" since the agreement was implemented. The Hamas official also emphasized that they are documenting the violations and incursions of occupation tanks beyond the yellow line in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas operating along two tracks
On the other hand, Hamad explained that the Hamas movement is operating on two parallel tracks: the first is preserving the national identity and managing the reconstruction file, which, he stressed, must not come at the expense of that identity.
The second track, Hamad noted, is maintaining that "our arms are legitimate and national" and exclusively used to repel the Israeli occupation.
Concluding his remarks, Ghazi Hamad affirmed the shared vision within Gaza that it is the Palestinians themselves who should govern the territory and that the movement rejects any international trusteeship over the mechanisms for managing Palestinian affairs.
Hamas ready to agree to five-year ceasefire: Nazzal
Meanwhile, Hamas Political Bureau member Mohammed Nazzal stated that the group was prepared to agree to a ceasefire lasting up to five years to rebuild Gaza, asserting that "the goal isn't to prepare for a future war" and that any guarantees for the subsequent period would be contingent upon Palestinians being granted genuine "horizons and hope" for achieving statehood.
When asked if Hamas would give up its arms, Nazzal said, "I can't answer with a yes or no," explaining that "frankly, it depends on the nature of the project" and questioning, "The disarmament project you're talking about, what does it mean? To whom will the weapons be handed over?"
Next phase of negotiations require broad Palestinian consensus
He further added that the issues to be discussed in the next phase of negotiations, including the matter of weapons, were not a concern for Hamas alone but involved other armed Palestinian factions as well, and would require the broader Palestinian populace to reach a consensus. He added that the next phase of negotiations will begin soon.
Maintaining that Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period, Nazzal stated that mediators had not discussed with the group the proposal for an international stabilization force in Gaza, which was part of the ceasefire plan presented by Trump.