Hamas says weapons could be handed to future Palestinian state once occupation ends

The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, said Thursday that it is prepared to place its weapons under the authority of a future Palestinian state, but only after the complete end of Israeli occupation.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official in Gaza, told reporters that the movement’s arms are tied to the continuation of occupation and conflict. “Our weapons are linked to the existence of the [Israeli] occupation and aggression. If the occupation ends, these weapons will be transferred to the state,” he said.

Al-Hayya’s office later clarified to AFP that he was referring to a “future sovereign Palestinian state” that would assume responsibility for governance in the Gaza Strip.

He added that the issue of weapons remains under discussion among Palestinian factions and mediators, stressing that negotiations are still at an early stage. He also said Hamas would accept the deployment of United Nations forces to monitor borders and oversee the ceasefire in Gaza.