According to Khalil al-Hayya, a top political official for Hamas, the group is now willing to lay down their arms if a two-state solution is achieved along the pre-1967 borders in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This is a significant shift from their previous stance of outright rejecting such a possibility. Al-Hayya also expressed Hamas’ desire to join the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in order to establish a unified government that would govern both Gaza and the West Bank.
He stated that Hamas would agree to the establishment of a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as the return of Palestinian refugees in accordance with international resolutions.
It is worth noting that the pre-1967 borders refer to the territories that Israel occupied during the Six-Day War, including the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights. Al-Hayya emphasized that if a two-state solution is achieved, Hamas’ military wing will dissolve.
Al-Hayya explained that after gaining independence and establishing their state, the forces that fought against occupiers transformed into political parties, while their defending fighting forces evolved into the national army, as per the experiences of various nations.
According to the Associated Press, it is deemed “unlikely” for Israel to entertain the idea of a sovereign Palestinian state, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue battling Hamas until its complete eradication.
In a separate instance, Khaled Mashal, another senior Hamas official, expressed to Kuwaiti podcaster Amar Taki that the group has no interest in the two-state solution, rejecting the notion due to the requirement of recognizing the legitimacy of the Zionist entity.
Mashal emphasized that the recent attack on Israel by Hamas, resulting in casualties and hostages, signifies the Palestinians’ ability to reclaim all their territories, renewing the dream and hope for Palestine from the river to the sea.
The death toll from Israel’s military actions in response to the Hamas incursion in Gaza has risen to over 34,305, with 77,293 individuals sustaining injuries, based on the most recent data from the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave.
