Doha, October 12 — A senior Hamas official stated the group is willing to relinquish administrative control of Gaza after the war, but firmly rejected calls for disarmament as long as Israeli occupation persists, amid fragile ceasefire talks and internal mobilizations to counter clan violence. The remarks, shared in an interview with NPR, come as Hamas deploys 7,000 security forces to stabilize areas vacated by Israeli troops under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, according to details received by The Chenab Times.
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s politburo based in Qatar, told NPR that the group is prepared to concede governing the Gaza Strip post-conflict, allowing a technocratic body to handle administration. However, he emphasized, “Hamas is willing to concede on governing the Gaza Strip after the war, but will not lay down arms against Israel,” underscoring the movement’s role as a “Palestinian national movement working for and struggling for the liberation of Palestine.” This stance aligns with Hamas’s revised 2017 charter, which accepts a Palestinian state on 1967 borders but rejects Israel’s legitimacy, while maintaining armed resistance as a right.
The comments follow Hamas’s October 6 “yes, but” response to Trump’s framework, which stipulates the group’s disarmament, demobilization and exclusion from future Gaza governance in favor of a transitional international committee led by figures like former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Indirect talks in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, involving U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have advanced the first phase—hostage releases and partial Israeli withdrawal—but phase two remains contentious, with Hamas insisting on full occupation end before ceding arms.
Naim’s position echoes a statement from a Hamas official to Saudi outlet Al Hadath, affirming no intention to occupy government or administrative roles post-war. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas claimed in a September 25 UN General Assembly speech that “Hamas will not govern Gaza,” a assertion Hamas rebuffed as infringing on Palestinian self-determination, per The New York Times. The group has reiterated it would not disarm until a sovereign Palestinian state is established, viewing weapons as “legitimate… to resist occupation.”
This comes amid Hamas’s internal challenges: The mobilization of 7,000 fighters, ordered via texts to “cleanse Gaza of outlaws and collaborators,” responds to a power vacuum after Israeli withdrawals to a “yellow line” controlling 53% of the territory by October 10. Clan clashes escalated when Dughmush gunmen killed two elite Hamas operatives in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, including the son of military intelligence chief Imad Aqel, prompting a siege on 300 clan members armed with looted weapons, as reported by BBC. Hamas killed one Dughmush fighter and kidnapped 30 others by Saturday, raising civil war fears in a territory flooded with arms from depots raided during the conflict.
A retired Palestinian Authority security officer told BBC, “Hamas hasn’t changed. It still believes that weapons and violence are the only means to keep its movement alive. Gaza is flooded with arms… This is a perfect recipe for civil war.” Human rights expert Khalil Abu Shammala in Gaza warned that Hamas’s security involvement could “jeopardise the agreement and plunge Gaza’s residents into even greater suffering.”
The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack killing 1,200 Israelis and abducting 250 hostages, has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives, predominantly civilians, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures. Despite the ceasefire’s start on October 10, 104 Palestinians died in strikes since Friday, including 10 since dawn October 11, per Al Jazeera.
Trump hailed progress, The Chenab Times earlier reported after a tense October 6 call with Netanyahu—where he rebuked the Israeli leader as “f***ing negative”—that the deal is Netanyahu’s “chance for victory.” Netanyahu aligned, halting airstrikes hours later. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the hostage release potential an “enormous achievement,” with talks on Gaza’s reshaping ongoing.
Global reactions reflect fragility. Istanbul saw massive protests demanding an end to the war, while Italy banned a pro-Palestinian October 7 event in Bologna over unrest fears. Turkish women formed human chains in solidarity, and Scottish First Minister John Swinney demanded release of detained Gaza flotilla activists, including Greta Thunberg. Israeli captive families nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, per the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
In Gaza, cautious optimism prevails. Ahmed Hashem from Jabalia prayed for success, Essam Hararah prioritized ending suffering, and Ayman al-Masri cited Trump’s ambitions. Mustafa Barghouti warned of Netanyahu’s sabotage, Yezid Sayigh stressed agreement maintenance, and Hussein Haridy urged linking disarmament to withdrawal.
The Israel Premier-Tech cycling team rebranded amid protests, and a YouGov poll showed 57% of Britons view Israel’s actions unjustified. In the West Bank, Israeli raids closed a Tubas school, settlers uprooted 120 olive trees near Ramallah, per WAFA, and a southern Lebanon drone strike killed two, including Hezbollah’s Hassan Ali Jamil Atoui.
Aid activists on the Conscience vessel aim to reach Gaza by Friday, with Huwaida Arraf declaring, “You are not alone.” Tony Blair’s transitional role drew “dark joke” criticism.
As Hamas balances concessions with resistance, the ceasefire’s eve of the October 7 anniversary amplifies stakes, with Trump’s pressure yielding gains but internal dynamics threatening unraveling.
Covering international news stories and updates for the viewers of The Chenab Times.