The left-leaning German newspaper “Junge Welt” has published a series of interviews with Hamas and other Palestinian organizations, illuminating their perspectives on the recent ceasefire and the future governance of Gaza. The interviews, conducted roughly a week ago in Lebanon, feature prominent figures from Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) – all organizations designated as terrorist entities by numerous Western nations, yet who participated in the Egyptian-mediated negotiations that led to the current truce.
These disclosures raise significant questions about the dynamics of the ceasefire agreement and the entrenched positions of groups committed to a maximalist vision for Palestinian liberation. Hamas spokesperson Walid Kilani, as quoted in “Junge Welt” stated the organization is “negotiating a ceasefire and adhering to it, provided the occupying power does the same”. While acknowledging potential violations, Kilani emphasized a commitment to the agreement, framing it as contingent on Israel’s continued adherence.
Haitham Abu Ghaslan, a leader within the Islamic Jihad, echoed this sentiment, attributing the ceasefire to pressure exerted by the United States on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Abu Ghaslan suggested that both Israel and the U.S. presently have an “interest in ending their isolation” motivating them to uphold the agreement.
The prospect of a two-state solution, a framework favored by many international actors and Germany, was sharply rejected. Kilani deflected direct questioning, placing the blame for the impasse squarely on Israel’s purported intention to “eliminate the Palestinian people”. He argued that while settlements continue to exist across Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, genuine peace remains unattainable, characterizing the current situation as a mere “ceasefire agreement”. The Islamic Jihad went further, explicitly ruling out any two-state framework, while a representative from the PFLP demanded the liberation of “Palestine from the river to the sea” advocating for the incorporation of all territory under Palestinian control.
Regarding the future administration of Gaza, the interviewed organizations uniformly dismissed the notion of foreign mandates, instead advocating for a Palestinian-led technocratic government, emphasizing independence and competency. Hamas spokesperson Kilani specifically denied any intention for the organization to govern Gaza directly, stressing the need for acceptance by all Palestinian factions.
The report also touches upon the recent arrests in Berlin of individuals suspected of planning attacks on Israeli targets. Kilani vehemently denied their affiliation with Hamas, asserting that the organization restricts its military actions to Palestinian territories and has not engaged in operations outside of these areas. He characterized Hamas as “a national liberation movement seeking to free our land” attempting to distance the group from broader allegations of international terrorism.
The interviews, published against the backdrop of Hamas’s October 7th, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in over 1,100 deaths and the abduction of over 200 hostages and Israel’s subsequent military retaliation which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Gazans, offer a nuanced, if carefully managed, view from within organizations committed to radically different outcomes than those favored by international mediators and governments. Their insistence on maximalist claims regarding Palestinian sovereignty and uncompromising rejection of a two-state solution underscore the profound challenges facing any future peace efforts in the region.