The Resistance News Network posted the following interview for Al Jazeera by Hamas leader in Gaza, Dr. Khalil al-Hayya, on Oct. 26, 2025.

The occupation failed to achieve its goals, and I do not believe the occupation has the motivation to return to war. It has not achieved any of its goals over the past two years, thanks to the steadfastness of our people and despite the immense sacrifices.

Gaza has given more than 10% of its population as martyrs, wounded, prisoners and missing. This is a very difficult statistic.

We have the great and sufficient will on our part for the war not to return, and we will not give the occupation any pretext to resume the war.

The international community, both popular and official, will also not allow the occupation to return to war.

We handed over 20 captives from the occupation’s soldiers, whether active duty or reserve, 72 hours after the ceasefire began, and we abided by that.

There are difficulties in searching for the bodies of the occupation’s captives, because the “israeli” occupation changed the landscape of Gaza’s land. Even some of those who buried these bodies were martyred or no longer know where they buried them. Despite all this, 17 bodies have been handed over to the “israeli” occupation so far, out of 28 bodies. Thirteen bodies remain from the list provided by the occupation.

Our brothers in the resistance and in the Al-Qassam Brigades are serious about searching day and night, and everyone witnesses this seriousness. There is an operations room in Cairo with the mediators and a team from the occupation, and we are on the opposite side in a special room, following up moment by moment.

There was an agreement for equipment to enter from the Egyptian side and for search areas to be designated, and this was done. Two days ago, new areas were designated to search for bodies, and I believe these areas, some of which are inside the “red zone” where the occupation is present, will be entered tomorrow under the auspices of the Red Cross.

There is seriousness and a decision from us and the resistance that we will not leave any of these bodies. We will search with all seriousness and responsibility, and the occupation must not use this flimsy pretext to continue harming our Palestinian people.

There are national issues that Hamas does not own alone, but rather are owned by all national parties. We held several meetings with the factions, including the Fatah movement.

What we agreed upon with the Palestinian factions is almost the same as the issues we agreed upon with the Fatah movement. We clearly agreed on what was issued in our statement (t.me/PalestineResist/83098), the first item of which was the administrative committee that the brother mediators are seeking to form to take over the responsibility of managing Gaza. We approved the list of names presented to us by our Egyptian brothers and told them we give you the freedom to choose qualified people from our nation to manage the Gaza Strip.

We are ready to hand over the reins of administration completely, and we have agreed on that.

Nearly four months ago, we gave the Egyptian brothers a list of more than 40 names of public national figures with no political affiliation, and we told them to choose whomever they wish from it. There will be a civilian police force subordinate to the administrative committee in the Gaza Strip.

The committee will manage the entire Gaza Strip in all matters, and we will hand over all reins of administration in Gaza. The committee will manage everything and will have full authority. There is a complete administrative apparatus that runs the Gaza Strip, and the incoming committee will be the public face for the Gaza Strip to manage this apparatus.

We agreed on the U.N. forces that will come to separate and monitor the ceasefire. We said in a statement that the forces’ mission is separation, securing the borders and monitoring the ceasefire so it is not violated by any party. We welcome Arab and Islamic bodies to be part of the U.N. forces, but they will have no work inside the Gaza Strip.

The agreement is still in its beginning

We agreed with all factions that the international body whose mission will be reconstruction will be responsible for bringing in funds for reconstruction and supervising it. We want this to be expedited. We want the ceasefire to continue, aid to flow and reconstruction to begin immediately. 

We affirm that Gaza and the West Bank are one national unit, and we do not accept the separation of Gaza from the West Bank. 

The administrative committee’s term should end either with Palestinian elections or the formation of an approved Palestinian government.

After the occupation’s failure to achieve its goals in Gaza, and given the international popular and official stance, the U.S. administration and President Trump became convinced that the war must end. The U.S. administration gave Netanyahu all the time and opportunities to achieve what he wanted, and he could not.

I had a short meeting with U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner. We discussed in the meeting that we, as Palestinians, are advocates for stability and are seeking our stolen rights and that we want to live like other peoples of the world in a Palestinian entity, in a Palestinian state. 

We have no problem except with the one who occupied our land and expelled us from it. We said that we want a Palestinian state in accordance with international law and resolutions that the world has legitimized, so that the region can stabilize. 

We are not fans of wars and bloodshed; the ones who pay the price for this blood are us and our children. They were surprised that they met with a group of university professors, engineers and doctors and that we are not as we are portrayed.

We told them that President Trump is the one capable at this stage of stopping the war, and we call on him to rein in the “israeli” occupation.

The Doha event and the catastrophic failure it caused for the “israeli” occupation — this unprecedented failure, the biggest failure in the history of the zionist occupation — created a setback for the zionist entity and an international outcry. 

It is unreasonable that we receive a U.S. proposal from the Qatari Prime Minister in the afternoon, and the fully amended proposal comes to us at 9:00 PM, only for the occupation to bomb us the very next afternoon, knowing full well that we were going to discuss this proposal.

We are a people under occupation, and it is our right under international law to confront the occupation. Our weapon, which we and all factions carry, is linked to the existence of the occupation and aggression. If this occupation ends and a Palestinian state is established for us, then this weapon and its bearers will be transferred to the state.

There is a serious national discussion and dialogue on this issue and others, to search for solutions and approaches that do not deny the Palestinians their internationally guaranteed rights and that protect the ceasefire. We are ready to adhere to the ceasefire as agreed upon.

With the presence of U.N. forces and an authority managing the Gaza Strip, the Strip will be safe and secure. There will be no exchange of war as long as the occupation abides by this. The agreement is still in its beginning. We are still talking about the bodies, aid entry and shelter. Our people are still displaced; we are at the beginning of the road. What we want now is to provide relief and shelter for our people, the continuation of the ceasefire and the start of reconstruction.

The prisoners’ cause is a paramount national issue. We were striving and hoping to end the suffering of all prisoners and for them to be released in this deal, but circumstances prevented that. However, the issue of the prisoners and their liberation will remain on the discussion table of the Palestinian leadership.

We call on our brother mediators to open the way for everything to enter the Gaza Strip without restrictions. The occupation is currently using the issue of the bodies as a pretext to obstruct aid and the reopening of the crossing. All of this violates the agreement.