Senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan has reiterated the group’s refusal to disarm in the face of ongoing conflict with Israel, even as he expressed openness to a long-term truce. Speaking to Drop Site News this week, Hamdan said giving up arms would leave Palestinians vulnerable and unprotected in a region dominated by Israel’s military power.
“You can’t talk about de-weaponising the nation who is under occupation, while they are occupied by the most powerful army in the region,” Hamdan said. His stance reflects Hamas’s long-held position that disarmament can only be considered under very specific conditions — notably, the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
“If there was a Palestinian state, those weapons would be handed to the Palestinian government,” he said. That conditional openness to disarmament aligns with earlier statements made by other Hamas leaders since the ceasefire took effect in January 2025.
The war, now in its 18th month, has taken a heavy toll on both sides. Hamdan’s comments suggest that while Hamas may be open to de-escalation, it will not agree to any deal that undermines what it sees as its right to resist occupation
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