TEHRAN- Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas’s representative in Tehran, said disarming Palestinian resistance groups could not be a precondition for any agreement, arguing that strategic issues, including weapons, must ultimately be decided through a collective Palestinian process rather than imposed from outside.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran on Monday, Qaddoumi reviewed the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, including the situation in Gaza, the ceasefire, disarmament, developments in the occupied West Bank and Al-Quds, and internal political developments in Israel.

Qaddoumi said the selection of a figure from Gaza as the head of Hamas’s political bureau underscored the central role of the territory in Palestinian resistance.

Turning to the ceasefire, Qaddoumi said the agreement had included provisions for a halt to hostilities, the entry of food, medical supplies and fuel, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the facilitation of humanitarian operations. However, according to him, a significant part of those commitments had not been implemented.

According to Qaddoumi, ceasefire violations were recorded daily and included military advances, attacks on homes across the Gaza Strip, arrests, artillery fire and other destructive actions. He also said the number of aid trucks entering Gaza had fallen short of the levels stipulated under the agreement, while the entry of commercial goods and fuel remained severely restricted.

Qaddoumi also criticized restrictions on the Rafah crossing, saying that even when the crossing was open, the movement of people and humanitarian assistance had not taken place fully and in accordance with the agreement.

On the question of disarmament, Qaddoumi said Hamas viewed the issue as a matter of principle, arguing that resistance was linked to the continued presence of an occupying force. At the same time, he said Hamas was prepared to respond positively to proposals aimed at ending the war and the killing of civilians.

He stressed that the question of weapons should not be imposed as an external condition and should instead be addressed as part of a broader national Palestinian decision-making process covering Gaza’s political future, governance, security and the possibility of elections.

Qaddoumi also described developments in the West Bank and Quds as unprecedented, citing 'continued settlement expansion, attacks by Israeli settlers and efforts to alter the historical and religious character of Quds.'

He said Hamas did not expect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position to change through US pressure but would continue negotiations in pursuit of Palestinian rights. If the agreement was violated, he said, the movement would continue its resistance “on all fronts.”