A senior Hamas leader made it clear this weekend that the terrorist group has no intention of giving up its weapons or its grip on Gaza, openly defying President Donald Trump’s peace framework as Phase Two of the U.S.-brokered plan approaches.
Speaking at the 17th Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, Khaled Mashaal — Hamas’s former chief and current head of its diaspora office — rejected the central requirement of Trump’s plan: disarmament tied to reconstruction and international oversight. Mashaal said surrendering weapons would “criminalize the resistance,” which is a polite way of saying he wants to keep rockets instead of rebuilding homes.
Mashaal even praised the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, claiming it restored what he called the “Palestinian cause” to global attention. He said Palestinians “take pride” in this so-called “resistance,” using the word as cover for continued violence and as justification for keeping Hamas armed.
He urged supporters to politically and diplomatically “pursue Israel,” calling for the Jewish state to become a global pariah and claiming Western elites, universities, and social media are already shifting in that direction. Apparently, Twitter is now part of Hamas’s long-term strategy.
Mashaal also praised Qatar’s role, calling its support for the Palestinian cause “honorable.” Hamas, meanwhile, remains designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and others, and Mashaal himself is wanted in the U.S. on charges tied to terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions evasion related to the Oct. 7 attacks.
“Criminalizing the resistance, its weapons, and those who carried it out is something we should not accept,” Mashaal said, insisting that armed violence remains legitimate “as long as there is occupation.” He framed Hamas’s arsenal as non-negotiable, arguing that disarmament would strip Palestinians of identity and defense — even as Hamas publicly claims to support the broader ceasefire framework moving toward Phase Two.
“This is a guarantee that these weapons are not used,” Mashaal said, carefully avoiding any promise to dismantle or surrender Hamas’s military infrastructure.
He also rejected international governance plans included in Trump’s framework, warning against any outside administration or stabilization force in Gaza.
“We adhere to our national principles and reject the logic of guardianship, external intervention, or the return of a mandate in any form,” Mashaal said. “Palestinians are to govern Palestinians… We will not accept foreign rule.” Translation: Hamas rules Gaza, and Hamas intends to stay.
These remarks come as Phase Two of Trump’s 20-point Gaza framework — which explicitly requires Hamas to disarm and leave power — is set to begin. The White House is preparing a major event next week to push the next stage forward.
Trump has repeatedly stated that Hamas agreed to lay down its arms as part of the deal and warned the group that failure to comply would bring swift consequences.
“If they don’t do it, they’ll be blown away very quickly,” Trump said last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Other Hamas leaders have echoed Mashaal’s defiance. In January, Musa Abu Marzouk claimed the group “never, for a single moment,” agreed to surrender its weapons, contradicting U.S. assertions.
Trump’s plan ties Gaza’s reconstruction to verified demilitarization, with an International Stabilization Force and a Palestinian technocratic committee set to take over governance once Hamas’s terror network is dismantled.
Israeli officials have warned that if Hamas refuses to disarm, military operations could resume and reconstruction would be limited to terror-free zones.
Mashaal’s comments, delivered at a forum Israel’s Foreign Ministry has condemned as an extremist platform, highlight the growing gap between Hamas’s public rhetoric and the conditions of the ceasefire now entering its most critical phase.
Once again, President Trump has drawn a clear line: peace comes with accountability, and rebuilding comes after disarmament. Hamas can choose rockets or reconstruction — and thanks to Trump’s leadership, the world now knows exactly who is standing in the way of peace.
