In an unexpected statement, a senior Hamas official has publicly thanked former U.S. President Donald Trump for his “personal interference” in securing a landmark peace deal to end the war in Gaza. Dr. Basem Naim, a prominent figure in Hamas’s political bureau, also announced that the group is prepared to step aside from governing the war-torn territory and allow a new Palestinian body to take control.
Speaking to SkyNews, Dr. Naim credited Trump’s direct intervention with breaking the deadlock and bringing the conflict to a close after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had failed to achieve his stated goals. “Without the personal interference of President Trump… I don’t think that it would happen to reach this end, the end of the war,” Naim stated. “Therefore, yes, we thank President Trump and his personal efforts.” However, Naim expressed profound mistrust of the Israeli government, urging Trump to “continue to interfere personally and to exercise the maximum pressure on Netanyahu to fulfill its obligation.”
While pledging to relinquish direct governmental control, Dr. Naim made a clear distinction between Hamas as a ruling authority and as an enduring political and resistance movement. “We are ready to hand over the government… but when it comes to Hamas as a Palestinian liberation movement, I think no one can overcome or exclude Hamas,” he clarified. He emphasized that the group’s influence and presence would continue across the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the diaspora, signaling a shift in its role rather than an outright dissolution.The most significant point of contention in the post-war framework appears to be disarmament. Dr. Naim was unequivocal that Hamas would not lay down its weapons until a sovereign Palestinian state is established. “Our weapons are going to be handed over only to the hands of a Palestinian state,” he asserted, adding that the Palestinian people’s right to resist occupation remains. As an interim measure, he proposed a long-term truce, or ‘hudna,’ for five to ten years, during which arms would be “standstill” to provide the time and space needed to form a state.
Dr. Naim also vehemently rejected proposals for an international interim force, particularly any involving former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Citing “very bad memories” of Blair’s role in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Naim warned his appointment would be like a “Balfour Declaration two.” He insisted that Palestinians are “mature enough to rule themselves” and have capable leaders who can manage Gaza’s future without foreign oversight, which he suggested would be a return to a mandate-style era.
Photo: Gemini AI