Khaled Meshaal told the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha that Hamas will not disarm while Gaza remains under occupation, arguing that disarmament without guarantees would leave Palestinians exposed. He urged any weapons handover to be conditioned on reconstruction, humanitarian relief and long-term guarantees, and proposed a truce of five to 10 years as an alternative. Meshaal also accused Israel of violating the ceasefire, cited casualty figures, and called on Arab and Muslim states to take stronger diplomatic action.
Meshaal Rejects Disarmament: Calls For Long Truce While Gaza Remains Occupied
INTERACTIVE-GAZA CEASEFIRE-Feb 4, 2026_Death toll tracker-1765554400
Hamas’s political leader abroad, Khaled Meshaal, has firmly rejected calls for Palestinian factions in Gaza to disarm, arguing that stripping weapons from an occupied people would leave them vulnerable to elimination. He made his remarks on the second day of the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha.
Disarmament Debate and Conditions
Meshaal framed demands for Hamas to hand over its arms as part of a long-standing campaign to neutralise Palestinian armed resistance. He said discussion of disarmament is meaningless while Gaza remains under occupation and stressed that any consideration of weapons removal must be tied to a secure environment that enables reconstruction, humanitarian relief and guarantees against renewed conflict.
“In the context that our people are still under occupation, talking about disarmament is an attempt to make our people an easy victim to be eliminated and easily exterminated by Israel, which is armed with all international weaponry,” Meshaal said.
Ceasefire, Casualties and Violations
Meshaal accused Israel of continuing near-daily strikes that violate the ceasefire and of refusing to withdraw from the informal "Yellow Line" in eastern Gaza — an area that has left more than half of the territory under Israeli military control. He cited figures saying at least 576 Palestinians have been killed and 1,543 wounded since the latest truce took effect.
Alternative: A Long Truce
Rather than immediate disarmament, Meshaal said Hamas has proposed an extended truce of five, seven or even 10 years as a practical guarantee that weapons would not be used. He suggested mediating states—Qatar, Turkey and Egypt—could act as guarantors, and noted indirect channels of dialogue with the United States through these mediators.
Broader Context and Diplomatic Appeal
Meshaal placed the conflict in historical terms, describing it as an issue of occupation and a people’s right to resist under international law. He called for Arab and Muslim states to adopt a more assertive diplomatic stance to erode Israel’s international legitimacy, likening that goal to efforts against apartheid in South Africa. He also welcomed growing international recognition of a Palestinian state but said recognition alone is not enough without concrete action to establish statehood on the ground.
“We are the owners of a just cause, and the accused is the one who committed the war crime of genocide,” Meshaal said in conclusion.
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