Hamas Rejects Disarmament, Foreign Rule in Gaza: Top Leader Mashaal

• Senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal stated the group will not surrender weapons or accept foreign intervention in Gaza.
• Mashaal, speaking in Doha, called disarming Hamas unacceptable, asserting 'resistance is a right' against occupation.
• Hamas's stance rejects demands from the US and Israel for demilitarization as part of a ceasefire agreement.
• The group launched a cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking 251 hostages, triggering the Gaza war.
• Israeli officials estimate Hamas still possesses 20,000 fighters and tens of thousands of rifles in Gaza.