Hamas signals openness on arms freeze as it warns violence could resume | Israel

Hamas is using its claim that the October 7, 2023 attack was an “act of defense” to project defiance and signal that renewed violence remains an option if ceasefire arrangements do not meet its conditions. Hamas also signaled it is willing to discuss “freezing or storing” its weapons as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Israel, with senior official Bassem Naim describing the offer as a way to prevent renewed escalation as the process moves into a more complex second phase. The current truce, which halted a prolonged Israeli offensive in Gaza launched after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, has so far focused on exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, with only the remains of one Israeli hostage still in Gaza as the sides prepare for the next stage. Watch for more