Hamas official: Resistance weapons were never subject to negotiations

A senior Hamas official said on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no right to claim credit for the return of Israeli captives.

Mousa Abu Marzouk said that all Israeli captives were released under agreements reached on the terms set by the resistance.

In comments reported by Al Jazeera, Abu Marzouk said Hamas has never agreed, at any stage, to hand over its weapons. He stressed that the issue of resistance weapons was never subject to negotiations at any stage.

He also said that any arrangements related to the Gaza Strip must be reached through direct understandings with Hamas, describing the movement as a key player in the Palestinian arena that cannot be bypassed.

Abu Marzouk added that Hamas had agreed, under what is known as the “Trump plan”, to a general framework aimed at stopping the war.

He concluded by saying that the issue of resistance weapons was never raised at the negotiating table, adding that it was Netanyahu who linked the disarmament of the resistance to the return of the Israeli body, the reopening of Rafah crossing, and the reconstruction of Gaza