Daijiworld Media Network – Doha

Doha, Oct 18: Senior Hamas leader Mohammed Nazzal has said the group intends to retain security control in Gaza during an interim period and cannot commit to disarmament, signalling hurdles for U.S.-led efforts to end the war.

In an interview with Reuters from Doha, Nazzal said Hamas was ready for a five-year ceasefire to rebuild war-torn Gaza, provided Palestinians are given “hope and horizons for statehood.”

Rejecting pressure to surrender arms, he said, “I can’t answer with a yes or no. It depends on the nature of the project — to whom will the weapons be handed over?”

Nazzal confirmed Hamas’ temporary role in maintaining order to protect aid convoys, even as governance shifts to a technocratic administration under the ceasefire plan backed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump’s September 29 plan calls for Hamas to release hostages, disarm, and transfer governance to a transitional committee. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying commitments, warning it is “running out of time.”

Hamas, which killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 in the October 7 attacks, has faced massive Israeli retaliation that has left nearly 68,000 dead in Gaza, according to local authorities.

Nazzal added that Hamas seeks long-term peace and reconstruction, not renewed conflict, but insisted any future settlement must ensure a sovereign Palestinian state.