A senior official from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) affirmed that the demand to disarm the Palestinian faction — a condition reportedly included in US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan — is “off the table and not open for discussion.”
The official, who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity, stated that “the issue of handing over weapons is beyond discussion and simply not an option.”
Complexities in Trump’s Plan
In a separate statement from Doha, senior Hamas leader Hossam Badran said the second phase of Trump’s plan “clearly contains numerous complexities and challenges that will likely require longer negotiations.”
Speaking to AFP on Saturday, Badran added that Hamas expects the next stage of talks with Israel to be “more difficult and complicated.”
Earlier, two Israeli analysts acknowledged that Hamas will remain a permanent force in Gaza even after the implementation of Trump’s plan.
Israeli Analysts Admit Hamas’ Endurance
Eyal Ofer, an Israeli expert on Hamas affairs, told Maariv newspaper that “in the long run, Hamas is not going anywhere.”
Ofer explained that Hamas’ continuity rests on three main pillars:
“Firstly, on the political level, Hamas seeks to establish a national Palestinian framework that is the sole authority in making national decisions regarding Gaza’s future.”
He further claimed that “in practice, Hamas aims to dominate the Palestinian Authority from within through elections.”
Ofer added: “While Israel takes the initiative in Gaza, Hamas plans to seize control of the West Bank as a base to strike Israel’s vulnerable flank.”
He continued: “From their perspective, the framework need not be called Hamas — they have no objection to changing the name,” referring to the possibility that Hamas could contest elections under a different banner.
Resistance as a Legitimate Struggle
“Secondly,” Ofer said, “on the military level, Hamas accepts Trump’s description of Gaza as a region that will be ‘freed from terrorism.’ However, senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk has made it clear that Hamas is a resistance movement against occupation.”
According to Ofer, Abu Marzouk asserted that “this is a legitimate struggle — not terrorism, as Israel portrays it.”
Ofer continued: “When Hamas forces merge into the national Palestinian entity that will be established in Gaza, their weapons will not be seen as ‘Hamas arms’ but as the arms of a national army and police.”
Disarmament “Impossible” Under Current Conditions
Writing in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli analyst Nadav Eyal argued that “without civilian authority over Gaza’s population, Hamas cannot be defeated.”
He described Trump’s deal as “an achievement for Israel”, noting that its first phase compels Hamas to surrender its most valuable asset — its hostages.
Eyal added: “In the second phase, Hamas no longer controls Gaza, yet the Israeli army will not control it either — it is moving towards a gradual withdrawal.”
Eyal revealed that a senior Israeli official had privately admitted that “Hamas will endure, because under the current circumstances, disarmament is extremely difficult — if not impossible — even though Trump’s plan explicitly calls for it.”
He concluded: “In other words, Hamas will not disappear… it is a deeply rooted popular movement entrenched within Palestinian public opinion.”
