The left-leaning German newspaper “Junge Welt” has published a series of interviews with Hamas and other Palestinian organizations, including the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), conducted in Lebanon. The interviews, reportedly taken approximately a week ago, offer a perspective on the recently established ceasefire and the future of Gaza, revealing deep reservations about lasting peace and a continued commitment to armed resistance.
All three organizations are designated as terrorist entities by numerous Western nations, yet they participated in the Egyptian-mediated negotiations leading to the current truce. Hamas spokesperson Walid Kilani, as quoted by “Junge Welt” stated that the organization is adhering to the agreement “as long as the occupying power adheres to it” while reserving the right to retaliate against perceived violations.
Haitham Abu Ghaslan, a leader within the Islamic Jihad, echoed this sentiment, suggesting the ceasefire is conditional and framed as a strategic pause within a broader conflict. He further attributed the acceptance of the truce by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pressure exerted by US President Donald Trump, positing that both nations are motivated by a desire to alleviate international isolation.
Central to the interviews is a consistent rejection of a two-state solution, a framework favored by Germany and many Western powers. Kilani attributed Israel’s unwillingness to embrace such a solution to a deliberate policy of Palestinian dispossession. “Their goal is the erasure of the Palestinian people” he asserted, branding any cessation of hostilities merely a “ceasefire agreement” as long as Israel continues its occupation. The PFLP representative explicitly dismissed the two-state solution, characterizing it as unacceptable to their organization and, conversely, to Israel. Their stated objective remains the liberation of “Palestine from the river to the sea” encompassing the entirety of the territory.
Regarding the future administration of Gaza, all three organizations uniformly rejected the notion of external mandates, advocating instead for a “government of technocrats” – an independent, competent and purely Palestinian administration recognized by all Palestinian factions. Kilani specifically denied Hamas’s intention to directly govern Gaza, emphasizing the importance of a universally accepted, independent body.
Responding to inquiries about the recent arrest of three alleged Hamas members in Berlin, who are suspected of planning attacks on Israeli targets, Kilani denied their affiliation, claiming Hamas has consistently restricted its military operations to Palestine, the West Bank and Gaza. He portrayed Hamas as a “national liberation movement” committed to freeing the land.
The interviews unfold against the backdrop of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, a brutal assault resulting in over 1,100 deaths and the abduction of over 200 hostages, many of whom subsequently perished. Israel’s subsequent military response has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, highlighting the complex and deeply entrenched nature of the conflict. The publication underscores the substantial political distance between Palestinian armed factions and a resolution predicated on international consensus.
