Top Hamas Leader Khaled Mashaal Rejects Disarmament or ‘Foreign Rule’

Senior Hamas figure Khaled Mashaal, speaking in Doha, vowed that the terror organization would neither surrender its weapons nor accept any form of foreign administration in Gaza. He characterized disarmament as an attempt to “criminalize the resistance,” asserting that as long as there is occupation, armed struggle remains a right. At the same time, he floated the idea of a long truce—a pause measured in years—in which Hamas would commit not to use its weapons, with regional mediators acting as guarantors of the arrangement.

His stance underscores the core dispute at the heart of postwar planning for Gaza. Jerusalem and Washington insist that verifiable demilitarization is essential to any enduring stability, while Hamas continues to frame its arsenal as non-negotiable. The idea of warehousing or “storing” weapons under international supervision has been hinted at previously, but never in a manner that would amount to surrender. Israeli officials, for their part, maintain that Hamas retains thousands of fighters and a substantial cache of arms despite its losses during the war triggered by the October 7, 2023 massacre.

Mashaal also appealed to new diplomatic frameworks to pursue reconstruction and aid, while reiterating that “Palestinians are to govern Palestinians,” signaling categorical opposition to any return to external mandates or trusteeship over Gaza. His remarks point to an ongoing impasse over governance, security guarantees, and the sequencing of reconstruction with demilitarization.

(TOI/VFI News)

“Lord, we ask that You stop any evil intent that Hamas is plotting and that You would disarm them. We continue to pray for the protection of the innocent, comfort for the grieving, and a swift end to violence in our region. Grant wisdom to leaders and bring about lasting peace, preventing those who plot harm. May Your shalom cover all Israel.”