Hamas leader vows to curb Gaza attacks on Israel but rejects disarmament

Hamas’s governmental person extracurricular Gaza, Khaled Meshaal, has offered assurances that the radical would instrumentality measures to curb immoderate aboriginal attacks connected Israel from the besieged Palestinian enclave, but added that surrendering its weapons would beryllium similar “removing the soul” from the group.

In an interrogation with Al Jazeera Arabic’s Mawazin, to beryllium aired connected Wednesday evening, the Hamas governmental main laid retired the group’s positions connected cardinal issues amid rising interest that momentum connected ceasefire talks whitethorn slice arsenic the archetypal signifier draws to a conclusion.

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Hamas said connected Tuesday that the ceasefire cannot determination guardant if Israel continues its violations of the agreement, with authorities saying the truce has been breached astatine slightest 738 times since taking effect connected October 10.

Meshaal besides told Al Jazeera that Hamas would not judge a non-Palestinian governing authorization for Gaza, amid speculation implicit the constitution of United States President Donald Trump’s alleged “board of peace”, which has been floated arsenic a imaginable alternate to Hamas’s regularisation since 2006.

The Financial Times reported connected Tuesday that erstwhile United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair‘s candidacy to the committee had been ruled out, pursuing absorption from respective Arab and Muslim states.

Blair is heavily tarnished for his cardinal relation successful the 2003 penetration and consequent concern and devastation of the US-led warfare successful Iraq, arsenic good arsenic his failed relation arsenic Quartet envoy to the Middle East.

Hamas had already voiced its objection to Blair’s inclusion successful September, with its authoritative Husam Badran calling him “an unwelcome figure” and “an ominous sign”. “He has brought nary bully to the Palestinian cause, nor to Arabs oregon Muslims, and his transgression and destructive relation has been known for years,” Badran said.

The US-brokered ceasefire agreed successful October has mostly held, contempt predominant Israeli violations and less by Hamas. At slightest 377 radical person been killed successful Israeli attacks. Yet, astatine the Doha Forum past week, mediators warned that momentum down the woody is slipping.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said astatine the forum that the Gaza ceasefire was astatine a “critical moment”, portion the Turkish and Egyptian overseas ministers urged the US and different parties to redouble efforts to support the process connected track.

All but 1 of the captives, surviving and deceased, taken to Gaza during the Hamas-led onslaught connected confederate Israel successful October 2023 person present been returned, portion hundreds of Palestinian prisoners person besides been released by Israeli authorities backmost to Gaza arsenic portion of the statement which ended the fighting.

Many of those Palestinian prisoners’ bodies person shown signs of torture, mutilation and execution, with families incapable to place them.

On Tuesday, a Hamas authoritative said Israel has not afloat adhered to the archetypal signifier of the agreement, citing the unopened Rafah crossing, assistance volumes overmuch beneath the agreed levels, and near-daily Israeli attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said the archetypal signifier was astir implicit and expressed his purpose to “achieve the aforesaid results successful the 2nd stage”, adding that helium would meet Trump successful Washington, DC, astatine the extremity of this period to beforehand it.

A US authoritative told Al Jazeera that intensive negotiations for the 2nd signifier are nether mode and making progress.

Meshaal told Al Jazeera that expanding assistance travel into Gaza is indispensable for the 2nd signifier to begin, which would people the ceremonial extremity of the warfare and see a afloat Israeli withdrawal — beyond the partial pullback to the alleged yellowish line, which inactive leaves Israel successful power of much than fractional of Gaza — a cardinal extremity for Hamas.

“We informed the mediators that Gaza needs those who tin assistance it emergence and retrieve again,” Meshaal said.

Disarmament volition beryllium a cardinal issue. Israel has demanded it, portion Hamas officials person expressed ambivalence, but which Meshaal said would beryllium akin to “removing the soul” of the group. Hamas officials person antecedently said they would beryllium prepared to relinquish their arms to a Palestinian state.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who has indicated his state could articulation an planetary stabilisation unit (ISF) successful Gaza liable for disarming Hamas, urged patience astatine the Doha Forum, saying disarmament would not hap successful the “first stage” and emphasising that “we request to proceed successful the close bid and stay realistic”.

Israel opposes the beingness of Turkish troops successful Gaza and has said disarming Hamas indispensable beryllium the apical precedence successful the 2nd signifier erstwhile it begins.

On Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the ISF needed to beryllium sent to Gaza “as soon arsenic possible” due to the fact that connected “one side, Israel is violating the ceasefire each day, but claims the different broadside is responsible, truthful we request monitors on the yellowish broadside successful bid to verify and monitor”.