Hamas leaders swiftly rejected the core demand of President Trump’s Gaza plan—disarmament—signaling they intend to keep their arsenal and continue the fight against Israel. Speaking in Istanbul and Doha, senior figures cast aside any notion of submitting to international oversight in Gaza, framing the ceasefire as merely a pause rather than a step toward lasting peace. Their statements underscored a determination to resist dismantling terror infrastructure or ceding control to any outside authority.
Khaled Mashaal’s remarks captured the hard line: he praised the “resistance” and portrayed weapons as a matter of honor, setting the tone for Hamas’s refusal to comply with the plan’s demilitarization clause. He also rejected the concept of an international stabilization force in Gaza, rebuffing the idea that a transitional authority could supervise disarmament or govern the Strip during reconstruction. Rather than engaging the plan’s mechanisms, Hamas doubled down on rhetoric aimed at escalating pressure on Israel across multiple fronts—political, diplomatic, and in the streets.
Israeli officials responded that Hamas’s stance makes a mockery of a process designed to end the war, return hostages, and rebuild Gaza under a secure framework. The group’s defiance also raises concerns that international actors might press ahead to later phases of the plan without full compliance—moving forward despite outstanding obligations like disarmament or the return of remains. In the meantime, Hamas’s leaders continue to agitate against Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria, prisons, and global forums, framing the conflict as a broader campaign rather than a Gaza-only issue.
(i365/VFI News)
Hamas leaders swiftly rejected the core demand of President Trump’s Gaza plan—disarmament—signaling they intend to keep their arsenal and continue the fight against Israel. Speaking in Istanbul and Doha, senior figures cast aside any notion of submitting to international oversight in Gaza, framing the ceasefire as merely a pause rather than a step toward lasting peace. Their statements underscored a determination to resist dismantling terror infrastructure or ceding control to any outside authority.
Originally posted on vfinews.com
