Hamas Top Official Says Group Would Disarm if a 2-State Solution Implemented
One of Hamas’ top political chiefs told The Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday that the terror group would sign off on a truce of five or more years with Israel in addition to disarming and disbanding its military wing completely if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders.
Wednesday’s comments by Khalil al-Hayya, a lead negotiator in the deadlocked cease-fire and hostage negotiations with Israel—regarded by those involved as malleable but sometimes stubborn—signals a possible shift in approach by Hamas given that the proposed disarmament contrasts fiercely with the group’s expressed goal of destroying Israel.
During the AP interview in Istanbul, al-Hayya advocated for Hamas to unite with rival Fatah and join the Palestinian Liberation Organization—the only internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people. Fatah, which oversees the internal governance of the West Bank through the Oslo Accords-born Palestinian Authority, was expelled from Gaza in 2007 during a violent internal post-election conflict with Hamas.
In line with creating a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, Al-Hayya emphasized that there must be a right “to return Palestinian refugees in accordance with the international resolutions.”
He contended, however, that if this were to happen, Hamas would no longer need a military wing and would, therefore, dissolve.
Israel is unlikely to agree to these terms given the October 7 attack, the ongoing hostage situation, and what it perceives as previous experiences with unreliability in negotiations.
