Hamas open to “freezing or storing” weapons under Gaza ceasefire, official says

A senior Hamas official, Basem Na’im, said the group is willing to discuss options for “freezing, storing, or stockpiling” its weapons as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Speaking in an interview with the Associated Press in Doha, Na’im emphasised that Hamas is open to a “comprehensive approach to prevent further escalation or avoid new clashes and explosions,” The Associated Press reports.

He reiterated the group’s stance on the events of October 7, describing the attack as “an act of defence” and affirming Hamas’s “right to resist.” Na’im also proposed a long-term truce of five to ten years to allow for negotiations.

“This time has to be used seriously and in a comprehensive way,” he said, adding that Hamas is “very open minded” about what to do with its weapons.

“We can talk about freezing or storing or laying down, with the Palestinian guarantees, not to use it at all during this ceasefire time or truce,” he said.

Na’im stressed that international forces potentially deployed in Gaza after the war would not be granted authority to operate inside the enclave.

“We are welcoming a U.N. force to be near the borders, supervising the ceasefire agreement, reporting about violations, preventing any kind of escalations,” he said. “But we don’t accept that these forces have any kind of mandates authorizing them to do or to be implemented inside the Palestinian territories,” he said.

Commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza initiative, Na’im noted that the proposed plan “is in need of a lot of clarifications.”

He also denied Hamas’s responsibility for ceasefire violations that resulted in Israeli military casualties, claiming the group was “not aware” of actions taken by individual militants at the time the agreement was signed. According to Na’im, these fighters “are not aware about what’s is going on the ground now,” as communication with them has been cut.

By Khagan Isayev