Hamas: Weapons will not be laid aside except with the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special
Arab Sea - Follow-ups: The Hamas movement affirmed today, Sunday, that it will not give up its weapons until the establishment of the Palestinian state, stressing in an official statement its readiness for a long-term truce with Israel, and the release of all Israeli prisoners, living and dead, within a comprehensive deal. These statements come at a time when the US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, conveyed messages to the movement related to proposed principles for ending the war in Gaza, according to what Axios reported, citing an informed source. These principles include a cessation of fighting and the release of hostages, but they are still within the framework of general ideas and not a final formula. For its part, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation stated that Washington has already put forward outlines for an initiative aimed at ending the war and releasing all detainees, while the Kan channel quoted a source close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that Tel Aviv may stop its operations in Gaza if it is offered a "real deal." In contrast, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that the war could stop if Hamas released the hostages and gave up its weapons, a position he reaffirmed during a press conference with his Danish counterpart in Jerusalem. The movement had announced on Saturday evening its openness to any proposals that would lead to a permanent ceasefire, while the latest proposal includes a 60-day truce, which is not much different from previous initiatives that mediators have repeatedly modified without reaching an agreement. Despite the efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is still refraining from accepting the latest offer for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange, according to what the Qatari mediator confirmed last week. In a field context, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Eyal Zamir, announced the start of the second phase of the "Gideon's Chariots" operation in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the army will continue to intensify its operations to achieve the goals of the war, saying: "Recovering our prisoners is a moral and national mission, and we will continue to strike at Hamas' centers of gravity until its defeat."
