Hamas Reaffirms Gaza Ceasefire, Demands Palestinians’ Right to an Independent State

By Staff, Agencies

A senior Hamas official has reaffirmed the movement’s firm commitment to maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing that Palestinians seek only their legitimate and internationally recognized right to an independent state.

In an interview aired on Sunday, Khalil Al-Hayya, a leading Hamas figure in Gaza, declared that the Palestinian side possesses “great and sufficient will for the war not to return,” stressing that “we will not give the occupation any pretext to resume the war.” He added that “the international community, both popular and official, will also not allow the occupation to return to war.”

Al-Hayya underscored Hamas’s seriousness in implementing the terms of the agreement, noting that the resistance had swiftly fulfilled its obligations regarding captives. “We handed over 20 captives from the occupation’s soldiers, whether active duty or reserve, 72 hours after the ceasefire began, and we abided by that,” he said.

He revealed that Hamas had delivered the bodies of 17 dead captives to the “Israeli” entity and was determined to locate the remaining 13. “There is seriousness and a decision from us and the resistance that we will not leave any of these bodies. We will search with all seriousness and responsibility, and the occupation must not use this flimsy pretext to continue harming our Palestinian people,” he asserted.

Al-Hayya described the “catastrophic failure” of the “Israeli” military campaign and the immense sacrifices of the Palestinian people over the past two years. “Gaza has given more than 10% of its population as martyrs, wounded, prisoners, and missing. This is a very difficult statistic,” he said, adding that despite this suffering, the occupation failed to achieve any of its objectives.

“The occupation failed to achieve its goals, and I do not believe it has the motivation to return to war. It has not achieved any of its aims over the past two years, thanks to the steadfastness of our people and despite the immense sacrifices,” he noted.

According to Al-Hayya, the military and political stalemate has shifted both regional and international attitudes, including within Washington. “The US administration and President Trump became convinced that the war must end. The US gave [‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu all the time and opportunities to achieve what he wanted, and he could not,” he said.

Al-Hayya emphasized that Palestinians seek stability rooted in justice, as reflected in recent discussions among Palestinian factions, including Fatah. “We discussed that we, as Palestinians, are advocates of stability and seekers of our stolen rights. We want to live like other people of the world in a Palestinian entity, in a Palestinian state. We have no problem except with the one who occupied our land and expelled us from it,” he stated.

He made clear that the resistance’s existence is directly linked to the occupation, and that their weapons are tied to its continuation. “Our weapon, which we and all factions carry, is linked to the existence of the occupation and aggression. If this occupation ends and a Palestinian state is established for us, then this weapon and its bearers will be transferred to the state,” Al-Hayya said.

He reiterated that Hamas’s vision for Palestinian statehood aligns with international legitimacy. “We said that we want a Palestinian state in accordance with international law and resolutions that the world has legitimized, so that the region can stabilize. We are not fans of wars and bloodshed; the ones who pay the price for this blood are us and our children,” he affirmed.

Al-Hayya also announced that Hamas is prepared to fully hand over administrative control of the Gaza Strip to a newly formed non-partisan committee. “We are ready to hand over the reins of administration completely, and we have agreed on that,” he confirmed.

He said Hamas had approved a list of names for the committee and agreed to the deployment of UN forces to monitor the ceasefire and maintain separation, welcoming the participation of Arab and Islamic organizations in those forces. “The administrative committee’s term should end either with Palestinian elections or the formation of an approved Palestinian government,” he clarified.

Reaffirming national unity, Al-Hayya stressed that “Gaza and the West Bank are one national unit, and we do not accept the separation of Gaza from the West Bank.”

He concluded by urging mediators to prioritize humanitarian needs and reconstruction efforts. “What we want now is to provide relief and shelter for our people, the continuation of the ceasefire, and the start of reconstruction,” he said.