Hamas is ready to fight if the war in Gaza resumes, Hamas leader Hosam Badran said in an interview. He also rejected Donald Trump's peace plan proposal that its members be expelled from the Palestinian territory and indicated that the movement would not attend the signing of the peace agreement in Egypt.
Badran, a member of the political committee of the Islamist movement that governs Gaza, spoke from Qatar about the negotiations on the second phase of the peace plan and warned that these talks will be"more complex and difficult."
Despite the entry into force of a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday following indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel in Egypt, several points of Trump's plan remain unresolved.
Among the most complicated issues are the proposed disarmament of Hamas and the idea of a transitional authority for Gaza led by Trump.
" We hope not to return to war, but our Palestinian people and resistance forces will undoubtedly (...) use all their capabilities to repel this aggression," he said.
Badran emphasized that"it is important to note that Hamas's weapons are not the only ones. Today we are talking about weapons that are the weapons of the entire Palestinian people, and weapons in the Palestinian case are something natural and are part of history, the present, and the future."
Hamas will not attend the signing of the peace agreement in Egypt
The leader also rejected the proposal that Hamas be banished from the Gaza Strip.
"Talking about expelling Palestinians, whether they are Hamas members or not, from their land is absurd and senseless," he said.
He also announced that Hamas will not participate in the formal signing ceremony for the Gaza peace agreement in Egypt.
"We will not participate" in the official signing, he declared, adding that Hamas intervened in the ceasefire negotiations mainly through the mediation of Qatar and Egypt.
Asked whether he believes the talks will pave the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state, Badran replied:"It's not important whether it will be achieved in the near future or not. What matters is that the world realizes that the Palestinian issue cannot be ignored."
"If we do not achieve our right to establish our state during this next phase, there will be no stability in this region, and the Palestinian people will continue and persist in their struggle and resistance by all means and forms until this fundamental objective is achieved," he said.
