DaysofPal – Husam Badran, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said the Palestinian resistance remains open to ideas and proposals aimed at stopping the war and ending what he described as the genocide in the Gaza Strip, but not at the expense of Palestinian demands and national principles.
Badran emphasized in televised comments on Sunday that neither Qatari nor Egyptian mediators have yet to submit an official ceasefire proposal to Hamas.
“We cannot provide full or official responses to what is published in the media, but we have clear and fixed principles when it comes to negotiations,” he said.
Badran noted that this is not the first time Washington, in coordination with Israel, has floated multiple initiatives and ideas. These, he explained, often take time before they are finalized and formally passed to Hamas through mediators. “Everything we’ve heard so far is through the media. Officially, nothing has reached the movement, whether from Trump or anyone else,” he said.
He underlined that Hamas’ demands are national ones, coordinated fully with other Palestinian factions, and motivated by a priority to stop the war. He rejected the notion that the resistance’s weapons are the obstacle to peace, saying, “Our weapons are only a pretext used by the occupation to continue its war of extermination against Gaza. The proof is what is happening in the West Bank.”
Badran stressed that Hamas has no special demands for itself or its leadership: “We negotiate for the interest of our Palestinian people, especially our people in Gaza, who are facing daily extermination before the eyes of the world.”
He insisted that the right to resist occupation is legitimate and consistent with international law, pointing out that Hamas fighters have confronted “a massive and criminal military arsenal with simple weapons.” He added, “There must be a clear and complete end to the war and the withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza.”
On postwar governance, Badran emphasized that Palestinians are fully capable of managing their own affairs: “We are among the most experienced and politically aware peoples. No one should treat us as if we are a minor nation that needs guardianship, not after the legendary steadfastness of our people and their attachment to the land.”
He reiterated that the administration of Palestinian affairs in Gaza or the West Bank is a domestic matter requiring internal consensus, welcoming any efforts to strengthen Palestinian unity but “without external interference.”
“No regional or international party has the right to dictate how Palestinians manage their affairs, choose their leadership, or lead this sensitive stage of their history,” he said.
Turning to reports that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair might play a role in Gaza, Badran was scathing: “Tony Blair is not welcome in the Palestinian context. Linking any plan to him is a bad omen for the Palestinian people.”
He argued that figures like Blair, whose legacy includes support for the Iraq War, “deserve to stand before international courts for crimes committed in the past” and cannot be accepted as part of any future arrangements for Gaza.
“The world knows Tony Blair; he can be called the brother of the devil. He has brought nothing good to the Palestinian cause, nor to Arabs or Muslims. His criminal and destructive role since the war on Iraq is well documented, both in theory and in practice.”
Badran affirmed that Palestinians have the capacities and expertise, both inside and outside the country, to govern themselves and manage domestic issues as well as regional and international relations.
His remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios earlier on Sunday that negotiations to end the Gaza war were in their “final stages,” potentially opening the door to broader peace in the region.
Trump said significant progress had been made with Arab states toward an agreement on Gaza, though work remained to finalize it. “If the plan on Gaza succeeds, it will be great for Israel and the Middle East,” he said, adding that success could mark the first real opportunity for peace in the region.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=67958
