Hossam Badran, member of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, emphasized that “the weapons held by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, whether by Hamas or other factions, are for self-defense and confronting the occupation.”

He said during statements to the program “Al-Soura” broadcast on “Al-Nahar” that the use of weapons “is fully coordinated with international charters and treaties” that grant every people living under occupation the natural right to resist by all means and forms, including armed resistance.

He rejected “attempts to mislead public opinion,” clarifying that the discussion is not about a massive military arsenal including “warplanes, tanks, and warships.”

He condemned the notion that weapons are an obstacle to achieving stability, saying: “Those who talk about weapons as if they are the obstacle are mistaken and deceiving people.”

He explained that “the main reason for instability in this region has been and remains, and perhaps will remain, this occupation. As long as the occupation exists, there will be no stability.”

He called on the world to “force the occupation to respect our Palestinian rights and our right to self-determination” if it wishes for regional stability, even if temporarily.

He confirmed that “the issue of weapons, like others, has been deferred to internal Palestinian national discussion and dialogue,” pointing out that “the historical and popular Palestinian position on weapons and resistance is well known.”

He expressed appreciation for the Egyptian stance announced by Dr. Badr Abdel Aati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, that “weapons are an internal Palestinian matter,” saying: “The Egyptian position is appreciated and comes from extensive experience in understanding the conflict with this occupation.”