Hamas Leadership Firm on Retaining Arms, Seeks Robust Ceasefire Assurances
According to a senior official from Hamas, the group adamantly opposes any efforts to disarm the resistance movement and cautions against external meddling in Palestinian matters. Additionally, they are calling for more robust and detailed assurances for the impending second phase of the ceasefire with Israel.
In a Tuesday interview with Yemen’s al-Masirah, Osama Hamdan emphasized that Hamas remains resolute in its refusal to relinquish its arms to external entities. Hamdan asserted, “The resistance firmly opposes any foreign intervention aimed at disarming us and seizing the weapons that the occupation was unable to confiscate. The notion of surrendering arms is unacceptable to the resistance.”
Hamdan highlighted the ongoing ceasefire with Israel, pointing out the persistent violations by the regime and emphasizing the necessity for more definitive assurances in the forthcoming phase.
In the ongoing negotiations regarding the Gaza agreement, the second phase requires more explicit guarantees and detailed commitments, he emphasized, pointing to Israel’s history of repeated breaches of past agreements.
He stated that the Zionist adversary fails to honor agreements and even blatantly disregards international accords it enters into.
He cautioned that Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza might indicate the resumption of conflict. “The inability to open the crossings suggests that Israel plans to renew its aggression against the Gaza Strip,” stated Hamdan.
He stated that employing the blockade as a strategic measure will not diminish Palestinian resistance, emphasizing that utilizing such a siege in the context of essential needs “intensifies hostility towards the Zionist entity.”
In a strong critique, Hamdan described the policies of Israel and the United States in the region as elements of a wider strategy aimed at achieving military dominance in West Asia.
He remarked that the United States aims to establish dominance in the region, positioning the Zionist entity as the cornerstone of this hegemony. Furthermore, he suggested that disarming the resistance would enable Israel to exert comprehensive control over the entire area.
In light of sustained assaults on Palestinians, Hamdan conveyed strong assurance in the resilience of the Palestinian people, asserting, “The resistance possesses the capability to persist, and I firmly believe that the resolution of this conflict will lead to the dissolution of this entity.”
A ceasefire agreement facilitated by the United States was attained between Hamas and Israel on October 10, 2025. During the initial stage of this agreement, Israel is required to open all crossings into Gaza, thereby permitting the entry of food and humanitarian aid and ceasing hostilities. In return, Hamas is obligated to release all captives it is holding.
Hamas has adhered to the agreement, yet Israel persists in its airstrikes on Gaza and maintains the closure of most border crossings, thereby obstructing the delivery of essential aid.
On Tuesday, Israel Katz, the minister of military affairs for the occupying entity, stated that there are no intentions to completely withdraw from Gaza. Instead, the regime plans to set up new military and agricultural outposts in the northern region, an action that appears to violate the ceasefire agreement.
On Monday, the Gaza Government’s Media Office reported that Israel has breached the agreement on at least 875 occasions. This includes 265 incidents of firing at civilians, 49 incursions into residential areas, 421 shelling attacks, and 150 home demolitions.
Since the initiation of the ceasefire, Israeli military actions have resulted in the deaths of at least 411 individuals in Gaza, with 1,112 others reported injured.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that the death toll in Gaza has escalated to 70,937 since the onset of the conflict in October 2023, with a minimum of 171,192 individuals sustaining injuries.
