Hamas said Palestinian resistance will not stop until “the occupation” ends and an independent, fully sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital is established, in response to “the New York” declaration calling for the group to lay down the arms.

A declaration issued on Tuesday by Saudi Arabia and France, backed by Egypt, Qatar and the Arab League, called for Hamas to disarm and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, which they say should rule across all Palestinian territories.

Saudi Arabia and France are seeking further global support for the declaration outlining steps towards implementing a two-state solution.