Hamas has said it intends to retain security control in Gaza for a transitional period and cannot commit to disarming.
In an interview from Doha, politburo member Mohammed Nazzal stated that Hamas was prepared to agree to a ceasefire lasting up to five years to allow for the rebuilding of the war-torn enclave. However, he emphasised that any long-term stability would depend on Palestinians being given a realistic path toward statehood.
Nazzal explained that Hamas’ armed presence in Gaza would continue temporarily to maintain order and protect aid convoys from armed gangs during what he described as a transitional phase. He said that while a technocratic administration would take charge of civil governance, Hamas’ security wing would remain active on the ground until elections were held.
The Hamas leader said that questions surrounding disarmament could not be answered with a simple “yes or no,” as they depended on the details of the proposed plan. He argued that any discussion on weapons would need to include all Palestinian armed factions and be part of a collective Palestinian decision.
Nazzal also defended recent public executions carried out by the group in Gaza, saying such actions were exceptional measures taken during wartime and that those executed had been guilty of murder.
The comments come just days after the first phase of a ceasefire was implemented under a U.S.-brokered plan proposed by President Donald Trump. The agreement requires Hamas to return all hostages and surrender its weapons before transferring authority in Gaza to a technocratic committee overseen by an international body.
In response to Nazzal’s statements, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office reiterated that Hamas was obligated to comply fully with the 20-point ceasefire plan. It said that Hamas had yet to release all hostages and had failed to disarm, warning that time was running out for the group to meet its commitments.
President Trump, when asked about the remarks, said he expected Hamas to honour its promises, noting that the group had already returned more bodies of hostages but offered no comment on the issue of disarmament.
According to local authorities, Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed nearly 68,000 people in Gaza since the war began, while Israeli figures report that Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 during the October 7, 2023, attacks.
Nazzal said Hamas had no intention of keeping the bodies of Israeli hostages and had already handed over at least nine of the 28 bodies in its possession.
He mentioned that technical difficulties were delaying the recovery of others, and international partners like Turkey or the U.S. might help with the search. A senior Turkish official recently confirmed that Turkey would participate in a joint task force with Israel, the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt to locate the remaining bodies.
Hamas had earlier agreed to release all living hostages and hand over civil governance to a technocratic administration, but maintained that broader political issues would need to be resolved within a wider Palestinian framework.
Nazzal added that Hamas sought a truce lasting three to five years to rebuild Gaza, stressing that the aim was not to prepare for future conflict but to restore normal life. He said that any guarantee for peace beyond that period would depend on international actors providing “horizons and hope” for Palestinians through the recognition of an independent Palestinian state.