Posted on 11/26/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Wednesday that any decision regarding the terror organization's weapons must be addressed through "internal Palestinian dialogue," emphasizing that the matter is tied to national consensus and political agreements.
In an interview with al-Hadath/al-Arabiya, Qassem stated that "the issue of weapons should first be resolved within national dialogue and internal consultation, reaching political understandings related to the overall Palestinian situation."
He added that the question of disarmament "is connected to internal consensus, and is also tied to a real political process that leads to an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, far from the Israeli logic that speaks of disarmament and similar terms."
Qassem said Hamas has "fully committed to everything required in the first stage in order to open the way for transitioning to the second stage, which Israel continues to obstruct," as he put it.
He noted that the organization's delegation visit to Cairo reflects Hamas' seriousness in moving toward the next stage and preparing for it.
According to Qassem, Hamas has been holding meetings with Qatari, Turkish, and Egyptian mediators, as well as with Palestinian factions "to consult and engage in dialogue, and to reach agreed-upon national political understandings to move into the second stage," stressing that this phase "contains further matters and complications and requires national consensus before entering it."
He said Hamas had shown a positive attitude in its various meetings, adding that "the movement is working seriously to reach the second stage, with all the arrangements it requires regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip."
The plan outlined by US President Donald Trump to halt the fighting in Gaza, which went into effect on October 10, 2025, included the disarmament of the Gaza Strip and the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian authority to administer the territory under international supervision.
Earlier this week, Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya said that the weapons issue remains under discussion, while stressing that it "is tied to the end of the Israeli occupation."
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced that his country is pressuring Hamas to accept the need for disarmament, stating that it is clear the movement is prepared to relinquish governance of Gaza.