More Vitriol
Hamas Predicts Israel's 'Erasure' in Shocking Interview
A senior Hamas official has categorically rejected demands for the terror group to relinquish its weapons as part of any Gaza ceasefire deal, describing such calls as "fundamentally unacceptable" and warning that the ultimate end of the conflict will be the "erasure" of Israel.
In a defiant interview aired on Yemen's Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah network, Osama Hamdan, a member of Hamas's political bureau, lambasted Israeli and Western pressures for disarmament, framing it as a strategic folly that would pave the way for Israeli dominance in the region.
"The idea of surrendering weapons is one that the resistance does not accept," Hamdan stated, emphasizing that Hamas's arsenal exists solely to combat what he termed the "occupation."
He argued that disarming would not only contradict Palestinian national consensus but also open the door to Israel "swallowing most of the nation's lands," leaving it as the sole armed power in the area.
Hamdan dismissed Israel's failure to dismantle Hamas's military capabilities over more than two years of fighting, asserting that no external force could succeed "even in a hundred years."
The remarks come amid stalled negotiations for the second phase of a potential ceasefire agreement, where Hamdan insisted on "clearer guarantees" and "more detailed commitments" from Israel, including a full withdrawal from Gaza.
He outlined three firm "no's" for Hamas: no external oversight or guardianship over Gaza, no disarmament, and no foreign interference in internal Palestinian affairs.
Hamdan accused Israel of using the ongoing blockade and closed border crossings as a "military signal" of intent to resume hostilities, claiming such tactics only deepen Palestinian resolve and hostility toward Israel.
Hamdan also took aim at the United States, alleging it seeks to ensure Israeli hegemony to serve its own interests, but dismissed these efforts as "illusions of power."
Despite heavy losses, including the elimination of key allies like Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, he expressed confidence in the "axis of resistance," declaring, "I am calm in the knowledge that the resistance is capable of enduring, and I believe that the end of the conflict will be the erasure of this entity [Israel]."
Islamic Jihad has echoed similar refusals to surrender arms, further complicating efforts to broker a lasting truce.