ISTANBUL (AP) — A most sensible Hamas political authentic informed The Related Press the Islamic militant team is keen to comply with a truce of 5 years or extra with Israel and that it could lay down its guns and convert right into a political birthday celebration if an impartial Palestinian state is established alongside pre-1967 borders.The feedback by way of Khalil al-Hayya in an interview Wednesday got here amid a stalemate in months of cease-fire talks. The advice that Hamas would disarm seemed to be an important concession by way of the militant team formally dedicated to Israel’s destruction.However it is not likely Israel would believe this sort of state of affairs. It has vowed to weigh down Hamas following the fatal Oct. 7 assaults that brought on the battle, and its present management is adamantly adversarial to the introduction of a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured within the 1967 Mideast battle.Al-Hayya, a high-ranking Hamas authentic who has represented the Palestinian militants in negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage change, struck a every so often defiant and different occasions conciliatory tone.Talking to the AP in Istanbul, Al-Hayya stated Hamas needs to enroll in the Palestine Liberation Group, headed by way of the rival Fatah faction, to shape a unified govt for Gaza and the West Financial institution. He stated Hamas would settle for “an absolutely sovereign Palestinian state within the West Financial institution and Gaza Strip and the go back of Palestinian refugees in response to the global resolutions,” alongside Israel’s pre-1967 borders.If that occurs, he stated, the gang’s army wing would dissolve.“All of the reviews of people that fought in opposition to occupiers, once they become impartial and bought their rights and their state, what have those forces executed? They have got became political events and their protecting combating forces have became the nationwide military,” he stated.Through the years, Hamas has every so often moderated its public place with appreciate to the potential for a Palestinian state along Israel. However its political program nonetheless formally “rejects any choice to the total liberation of Palestine, from the river to the ocean” — relating to the world achieving from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which contains lands that now make up Israel.Al-Hayya didn’t say whether or not his obvious embody of a two-state resolution would quantity to an finish to the Palestinian warfare with Israel or an period in-between step towards the gang’s said purpose of destroying Israel.There was once no rapid response from Israel or the Palestinian Authority, the across the world identified self-ruled govt that Hamas drove out when it seized Gaza in 2007, a 12 months after successful Palestinian parliamentary elections. After the Hamas takeover of Gaza, the Palestinian Authority was once left with administering semi-autonomous wallet of the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution.The Palestinian Authority hopes to ascertain an impartial state within the West Financial institution, east Jerusalem and Gaza — spaces captured by way of Israel within the 1967 Mideast battle. Whilst the global neighborhood overwhelmingly helps this sort of two-state resolution, Israeli High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line govt rejects it.The battle in Gaza has dragged on for almost seven months and cease-fire negotiations have stalled. The battle started with the fatal Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel by which Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 other people, most commonly civilians. Militants dragged some 250 hostages into the enclave. The following Israeli bombardment and flooring offensive in Gaza has killed greater than 34,000 Palestinians, maximum of them girls and youngsters, in step with native well being government, and displaced some 80% of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million.Israel is now making ready for an offensive within the southern town of Rafah, the place greater than 1 million Palestinians have fled to.Israel says it has dismantled many of the preliminary two dozen Hamas battalions for the reason that get started of the battle, however that the 4 closing ones are holed up in Rafah. Israel argues {that a} Rafah offensive is vital to succeed in victory over Hamas.Al-Hayya stated such an offensive would now not achieve destroying Hamas. He stated contacts between the political management outdoor and armed forces management within Gaza are “uninterrupted” by way of the battle and “contacts, choices and instructions are made in session” between the 2 teams.Israeli forces “have now not destroyed greater than 20% of (Hamas’) functions, neither human nor within the box,” he asserted. “If they may be able to’t end (Hamas) off, what’s the resolution? The answer is to visit consensus.”In November, a weeklong cease-fire noticed the discharge of greater than 100 hostages in change for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. However talks for a longer-term truce and free up of the remainder hostages at the moment are frozen, with every aspect accusing the opposite of intransigence. Key interlocutor Qatar has stated in fresh days that it’s endeavor a “reassessment” of its position as mediator.Maximum of Hamas’ most sensible political officers, in the past based totally in Qatar, have left the Gulf nation prior to now week and traveled to Turkey, the place Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday. Al-Hayya denied an enduring transfer of the gang’s major political place of work is within the works and stated Hamas needs to look Qatar proceed in its capability as mediator within the talks.Israeli and U.S. officers have accused Hamas of now not being fascinated with a deal.Al-Hayya denied this, announcing Hamas has made concessions in regards to the choice of Palestinian prisoners it needs launched in change for the remainder Israeli hostages. He stated the gang does now not know precisely what number of hostages stay in Gaza and are nonetheless alive.However he stated Hamas is not going to back off from its calls for for an enduring cease-fire and entire withdrawal of Israeli troops, either one of which Israel has balked at. Israel says it is going to proceed army operations till Hamas is definitively defeated and can retain a safety presence in Gaza afterwards.“If we aren’t confident the battle will finish, why would I surrender the prisoners?” the Hamas chief stated of the remainder hostages.Al-Hayya additionally implicitly threatened that Hamas would assault Israeli or different forces who could be stationed round a floating pier the U.S. is scrambling to construct alongside Gaza’s beach to ship assist by way of sea.“We categorically reject any non-Palestinian presence in Gaza, whether or not at sea or on land, and we can care for any army pressure found in those puts, Israeli or differently … as an occupying energy,” he stated.Al-Hayya stated Hamas does now not feel sorry about the Oct. 7 assaults, in spite of the destruction it has introduced down on Gaza and its other people. He denied that Hamas militants had focused civilians right through the assaults — in spite of overwhelming proof on the contrary — and stated the operation succeeded in its purpose of bringing the Palestinian factor again to the sector’s consideration.And, he stated, Israeli makes an attempt to get rid of Hamas would in the long run fail to forestall long run Palestinian armed uprisings.”Let’s say that they’ve destroyed Hamas. Are the Palestinian other people long past?” he requested.___AP reporter Khalil Hamra in Istanbul contributed to this file.
