Naim: The path of an international force is stalled, with no agreement on its role or mandate

Naim explained that ongoing regional and international efforts, overseen by the United States, have so far failed to yield a practical response to participation in such a force. He attributed this to ambiguity surrounding its tasks, scope of operations, rules of engagement, and the lack of a clear document regulating the nature of its intervention.

In statements to Filastin newspaper on Wednesday, Naim stressed that Hamas’s position on this matter is firm: any international force’s role should be limited to monitoring the ceasefire, separating the parties, preventing escalation, and submitting reports, without any interference in internal Palestinian affairs or the administration of the Gaza Strip.

In the same context, Naim accused Israel of attempting to obstruct the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which would obligate it to fully withdraw from Gaza, open the crossings, and begin recovery and reconstruction.

He said that Israel continues to violate the terms of the first phase and refuses to fulfill its obligations, while resistance factions have adhered to all requirements, despite grave Israeli violations.

Naim noted that the rate of Israeli violations has reached between 10 and 12 per day, resulting in the killing of more than 410 Palestinians and the injury of around 1,000 others, in addition to the destruction of buildings and infrastructure, the continued prevention of aid entry, and the closure of the Rafah crossing, despite the agreement stipulating its opening following the handover of living prisoners.

The political track

Regarding the political track, Naim revealed that feedback on the talks held between mediators and the US side in Miami was described as “positive and constructive,” particularly with respect to first-phase obligations and Israeli violations. However, moving to the second phase remains contingent on the willingness of the US guarantor to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government to comply with the agreement.

On the administration of the Gaza Strip, Naim said Hamas has been engaged since August 2024 in discussions to form a committee of independent technocrats to run the Strip, based on an Egyptian proposal. He described the talks with Cairo and Palestinian factions, including Fatah, as positive, resulting in a comprehensive framework defining the body’s tasks and scope, and consultations over dozens of proposed names to join it.

He added that this track was obstructed, initially by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, despite the flexibility shown by Hamas, and later due to Israeli rejection, leaving the file stalled to date.

Naim pointed out that forming a technocratic government was one of the main topics in the Miami talks, with mediators agreeing on the need to expedite this process and enable the Palestinian body to assume responsibility for civilian files, including civil security and border crossings.

He stressed that the guiding principle of Hamas’s position is the rejection of any form of external tutelage, affirming that “no one should govern the Palestinians except the Palestinians.”

International Criminal Court file

With regard to the International Criminal Court, Naim welcomed the Court’s refusal to halt investigations into genocide crimes committed in Gaza and its resistance to US pressure. He considered this a stance that strengthens the path of international justice and gives victims hope that Israeli war criminals, foremost among them Netanyahu and members of his government, will be held accountable.

Naim spoke of growing indicators of Israel’s international isolation, pointing to escalating boycotts and popular and political rejection of Israel in several countries, bans on docking arms-laden ships, withdrawals by states from cultural events, and notable shifts within the United States itself, including rising opposition to the influence of the Zionist lobby on US foreign policy.

He noted that opinion polls show a broad generational shift in the United States in favor of the Palestinian cause, emphasizing that these changes represent a long-term strategic trajectory, even if their political dividends require time.

He concluded by stressing the need to formulate a comprehensive Palestinian plan to build on these international developments, given Israel’s total reliance on external support, particularly from the United States, arguing that weakening this cover would be a decisive factor in the future of the Israeli colonial project.