Top Hamas Official: We Will Not Lay Down Our Arms

A top Hamas official stressed that the Gaza Strip’s Islamist rulers will not disarm or “pay any political price” as part of a potential cease-fire agreement with Israel. “We [will] benefit from the truce,” senior Hamas member Mahmoud Zahar was quoted by Arab media as saying, adding, “Our weapons will remain in our hands and there are no conditions regarding Hamas’ right to the resistance [against Israel].” His comments were echoed by Hamas boss Ismail Haniyeh, who on Tuesday claimed that “Gaza is on the way to ending the blockade thanks to [the people’s] resilient stance. There will be no political price for humanitarian aid.” The statements come amid an ongoing United Nations- and Egyptian- mediated effort to forge a comprehensive deal to end months of violence along the Gaza border. While a tense calm has been restored in recent days, one of the main sticking points remains the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to re-assume administrative control over the enclave so long as Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. To this end, the PA has been highly critical of Hamas’ apparent willingness to reach an agreement, which Ramallah repeatedly has described as a ploy to deepen the intra-Palestinian divide as well as a prelude to the implementation of U.S. President Trump’s yet-unveiled peace proposal that PA President Mahmoud Abbas has already rejected outright. Nevertheless, Zahar alleged that progress is being made in the truce negotiations, in particular with respect to the possible establishment of a port in Cyprus that would be used as a hub to import goods into Gaza. With respect to Jerusalem’s demand that any accord include the return of two Israeli civilian captives and the remains of two soldiers killed in Gaza during the 2014 war, Zahar maintained the issue was being discussed separately and reiterated that the Israeli government would in exchange have to free all Palestinians re-incarcerated after their release in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner-swap deal.