Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior political official linked to Hamas, said in an interview with the Associated Press that the terrorist group is willing to disarm and impose a truce of 5 years or longer if Israel agrees to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. .
The interview was published this Thursday (25). Khalil Al-Hayya further said that, in this scenario, the State of Palestine would be established based on the “pre-1967 borders”, or before the Six-Day War.
Al-Hayya participated in the negotiations that guaranteed a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in addition to the exchange of hostages, in November 2023.
He told the Associated Press that Hamas wants to join the Palestine Liberation Organization — currently led by rivals Fatah — and create a unified government for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
In a scenario in which Israel accepted the creation of Palestine and returned Palestinian refugees in accordance with international resolutions, the political leader said that the military wing of Hamas would dissolve.
“All the experiences of people who fought against occupiers, when they became independent and got their rights and their state, what did these forces do? They became political parties, and their defense forces became the national army,” he said.
On the other hand, Al-Hayya did not say whether the “Two-State Solution” would be an end point in the conflict or whether it would be just a step in the group’s stated goal of destroying Israel.
The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, after the terrorist group launched an attack and invaded Israeli territory, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people.
On the other hand, according to the Ministry of Health controlled by Hamas, the conflict has already caused the deaths of more than 34 thousand Palestinians.
The Hamas political authority’s statements coincide with Israel’s preparation for an offensive in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, where more than 1 million Palestinians are taking refuge.
The United States has already expressed concern about such an offensive. On the other hand, Israel argues that the operation is necessary to defeat Hamas.
Al-Hayya stated that an Israeli offensive in Rafah would not be able to destroy the terrorist group. According to him, in more than six months of war, Israel destroyed less than 20% of Hamas’ capabilities.
“If they can’t finish [com o Hamas], What’s the solution? The solution is to reach a consensus.”
During the interview with the Associated Press, Al-Hayya denied that Hamas is not taking negotiations for a new ceasefire agreement, which has been held for months, seriously.
The politician stated that Hamas has made concessions regarding the number of hostages it could release. On the other hand, he showed distrust.
“If we are not sure that the war will end, why would we hand over the prisoners?” he said referring to the remaining hostages.
VIDEOS: most watched on g1
Tags: interview Hamas official group abandon weapons Israel agrees creation Palestinian State World
