Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period, a senior Hamas official said, adding he could not commit to the group disarming — positions that reflect the difficulties facing U.S. plans to secure an end to the war.
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal also said the group was ready for a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild devastated Gaza, with guarantees for what happens afterward depending on Palestinians being given "horizons and hope" for statehood.
Speaking in an interview from Doha, where Hamas politicians have long resided, Nazzal defended the group's crackdown in Gaza, where it carried out public executions on Monday. There were always "exceptional measures" during war and those executed were criminals guilty of killing, he said.
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