Hamas official vows to avoid war resumption, seeks more hostage remains

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya has stated the Palestinian group will not provide Israel with any justification to restart military operations in Gaza, while confirming ongoing efforts to locate more hostage remains. In a television interview, al-Hayya emphasized Hamas's commitment to maintaining the current ceasefire that began on October 10 under a US-mediated agreement.

Search Operations Continue for Hostage Remains

Al-Hayya revealed that additional areas of Gaza would be searched on Sunday to recover remains of Israeli hostages. The Hamas official noted that since the ceasefire took effect, the group has released 20 living Israeli hostages and returned 16 bodies, with approximately 12 remaining. He also addressed efforts to secure the release of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons, criticizing Israel for what he called intransigence in disclosing prisoner names and identities.

Humanitarian Crisis and Reconstruction Plans

The Hamas leader expressed dissatisfaction with the current level of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, stating the territory requires 6,000 trucks daily rather than the current 600. He characterized Israel's restrictions on certain materials as behaving "as if we were still in the middle of a war." Regarding post-war governance, al-Hayya stated Hamas has "no objection to any national figure residing in Gaza to manage the Strip" and supports moving toward elections to restore Palestinian national unity.

Future Security Arrangements

Al-Hayya confirmed that Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed that reconstruction should be managed by a UN body, with the group supporting a UN peacekeeping mission to monitor borders and ceasefire implementation. On the contentious issue of disarmament, he stated that Hamas's weapons would only be transferred to a Palestinian state if Israeli occupation and aggression ends. The comments come as Gaza's Health Ministry reports over 68,000 fatalities since the war began in October 2023.