Palestinian children sitting by the fire in their makeshift shelter in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, on Oct. 25, 2025. (Credit: Bachar Taleb/AFP)
The head of Hamas’ negotiating team, Khalil Hayyeh, said that forces from the Palestinian movement will soon enter new areas of the Gaza Strip to search for the bodies of hostages that have not yet been found.
"Israel will not be given a pretext to resume the war," he said Saturday in an interview with Al Jazeera. He also stated that Hamas has "no objection" to a local national figure in Gaza administering the enclave, emphasizing that the organization will transfer all administrative powers to the managing authority of the Strip, including in the field of security.
"An agreement exists with Fatah regarding the deployment of international forces to monitor the cease-fire," he added.
Hayyeh further specified that his movement wants to hold elections as part of the national reconciliation process, insisting that "the people want one government and one administration."
Regarding the issue of Palestinian prisoners, he affirmed that it is a "clear national issue" and that Hamas is "working to end the suffering of all Palestinian prisoners."
He went on to accuse Israel of "complicating negotiations" over numerous detainees’ names, pointing out that efforts in this regard are "not yet completed."
During the interview, Khalil Hayyeh also expressed Hamas’ "disappointment" over the small amount of aid entering the Gaza Strip: "Gaza needs 6,000 aid trucks a day, not just 600. The humanitarian situation concerns us, as well as the population, and it jeopardizes the agreement," he said.
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