Senior Hamas official has stated the Palestinian militant group will resume its conflict with Israel if hostilities reignite, while flatly rejecting key elements of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, including disarmament and formal participation in a signing ceremony.
Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, confirmed to news agency AFP that the group would not be involved in the official signing of the peace plan, stating, “The matter of the official signing — we will not be involved.” He added that Hamas’ engagement in the ceasefire talks was channeled “primarily through Qatari and Egyptian mediators.”
Crucially, Badran dismissed the proposal for the group to disarm, a core component of the Trump plan. When questioned on retaining weapons, the official asserted that the “weapons… are the weapons of the entire Palestinian people,” framing them as a natural right for a people living under occupation.
The militant group also rejects proposals within the plan for its members to leave the territory, with Badran describing such suggestions as “absurd.” He predicted “difficult” negotiations ahead for the plan’s second phase, which addresses complex issues like disarmament and post-war governance.
Hostage Release Set for Monday
Badran’s comments come just before the start of the deal’s first phase, scheduled for Monday morning, which will see Hamas begin releasing Israeli hostages captured during its October 7, 2023, attacks. Israel anticipates the release of the remaining 20 living captives and the remains of deceased hostages, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Following the initial exchange, US President Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are set to co-chair an international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from over 20 countries, including the UN Secretary-General and the Prime Ministers of the UK, Italy, and Spain, to discuss the implementation of the peace plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attendance at the summit remains unconfirmed as of this report.