Hamas is willing to discuss “freezing or storing” weapons, a senior official said on Sunday, amid concerns that an earlier ceasefire agreement between Israel and the militant group could fall apart.
Bassem Naim told The Associated Press in Qatar on Sunday that Hamas is “very open-minded” about what to do with its remaining weapons.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement requires Hamas to lay down its weapons under the supervision of independent monitors as part of the demilitarization of Gaza.
Disarmament is a key part of the second phase of the 20-point ceasefire agreement.
“If there is a guarantee from the Palestinian side that it will not be used at all during this cease-fire period or during the cease-fire period, then we can talk about freezing it, storing it or destroying it,” Naim told The Associated Press.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “very close” to entering phase two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
But key details are still unknown, including which countries will join the international security forces targeting Gaza, a key part of the deal.
Prime Minister Netanyahu highlighted “the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza” as Israel’s priorities for the next step.
It is unclear whether Mr. Naim’s stated intention to “freeze or store” weapons would satisfy Israel’s disarmament demands under a ceasefire.
He stressed that there are limits to the authority of any international military in Gaza, even under the authority of UN Security Council resolutions.
“We welcome the presence of UN troops near the border to supervise ceasefire agreements, report on violations and prevent any escalation.”
“But we do not accept that these forces have any type of mandate that allows them to operate or be carried out within the Palestinian territories.”
Meanwhile, at the Doha Forum on Saturday, Qatar, Egypt and Norway expressed concern that the next stage of negotiations is at a critical juncture and the ceasefire is in jeopardy.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said: “We are now at a critical juncture (for the Gaza ceasefire).” “What we’ve done now is pause because we’re not there yet.”
