DOHA (Dispatches) – Hamas’s political leader abroad, Khaled Meshaal, on Sunday rejected calls for the Palestinian resistance movement in Gaza to disarm, saying stripping weapons from an occupied people would leave them vulnerable to “elimination” by Israel.
Speaking on the second day of the Al Jazeera Forum here, Meshaal said proposals for Hamas to hand over its arms are part of a century-long effort to neutralize Palestinian resistance. 
“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 exterminated by Israel, which is armed with the world’s most advanced weaponry,” he said.
Meshaal said any discussion of disarmament must occur alongside reconstruction, humanitarian relief, and guarantees that renewed violence would not erupt, emphasizing that Hamas has engaged with mediators from Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, and indirectly with the United States, to outline its position. 
“This requires great effort, not a simple approach of disarmament,” he said.
The remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump sought last month to achieve a “comprehensive” demilitarization of Hamas, threatening consequences if the resistance movement refused to comply. Hamas has maintained it will not relinquish its weapons while Israel continues its occupation and military control of Gaza.
Meshaal hit out at Israel for repeatedly violating ceasefires, including the informal “Yellow Line” in eastern Gaza, which divides territory under Israeli military control. 
Since the latest ceasefire began, Israel has massacred at least 576 Palestinians and wounded 1,543 others, according to Gaza authorities. 
“The problem is not that Hamas provides guarantees; the problem is Israel, which wants to seize Palestinian weapons and hand them to militias to sow chaos,” he said.
The Hamas leader outlined alternatives to disarmament, proposing a truce ranging from five to 10 years, backed by mediating nations, as a guarantee that weapons would not be used aggressively. 
He defended Palestinian resistance as a legitimate response to occupation under international law and as part of the historical memory of oppressed nations.
Meshaal called the October 7, 2023 iconic operation against Israel a “turning point” that forced global attention back onto the Palestinian cause. 
He urged Arab and Muslim states to abandon a defensive posture and act to delegitimize Israel internationally, likening it to the apartheid regime in South Africa. “We are the owners of a just cause, and the accused is the one who committed war crimes of genocide,” he said.