Senior Hamas leader Khaled Mishaal has called on the United States to fundamentally reassess its Middle East policy, urging Washington to end the overwhelming Israeli influence and to engage directly with Palestinian factions if it genuinely seeks regional stability.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Washington-based outlet Drop Site, conducted in Doha on December 11, 2025, Mishaal said Hamas is prepared to enter a long-term ceasefire with Israel under clear international guarantees, while firmly rejecting any externally imposed authority or foreign military presence in the Gaza Strip.

Mishaal argued that US policy in the region has consistently subordinated American interests to Israeli priorities, ultimately undermining Washington’s own credibility and stability goals.

“If they look at us even for a moment in a fair and impartial way, they will see that the Palestinian people are oppressed under occupation, and they have the right to resist,” Mishaal said. “Unless America steps in and forces Israel to withdraw, in which case we would thank America. But if they do not do so, then they should leave us to resist.”

The Hamas leader reiterated that his movement is ready to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire, store its weapons, and halt military operations if a serious political framework is established. Such a framework, he said, must include the reconstruction of Gaza, democratic elections, and negotiations over the future of a Palestinian state.

Mishaal stressed that Hamas has demonstrated “real guarantees and a record of commitment” to stability in past agreements, but warned that any attempt to exclude Hamas from Gaza’s reconstruction or impose foreign governance would inevitably fail.

He firmly rejected proposals to deploy foreign forces in Gaza, saying Palestinians would see them as occupiers rather than protectors. While expressing openness to dialogue with the United States and Europe, Mishaal said Hamas would not accept “occupation, guardianship, or support for an occupier.”

Mishaal compared the Palestinian struggle to South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement, urging Western governments to recognize the legitimacy of Palestinian resistance against occupation. He emphasized that disarmament could only be discussed within the context of a unified Palestinian security force capable of defending the population from Israeli aggression.

He also cautioned that Israel’s repeated violations of agreements must be addressed before advancing to new phases of negotiations.

“As Hamas committed to the first phase requirements, Hamas, along with all Palestinian forces, is committed to the requirements of the second phase through this serious dialogue with the mediators,” he said.

Addressing Palestinian internal politics, Mishaal responded to a question about polls that place him as the second most popular hypothetical presidential candidate after imprisoned leader Marwan Barghouthi. He said Hamas reserves the right to nominate its own candidates and criticized regional and international practices of canceling elections when outcomes are deemed inconvenient.

“The democracy desired in Palestine, as is unfortunately practiced in some countries in the region and the world, is that elections should produce predetermined results acceptable to those holding them,” Mishaal said. “If they do not, they are canceled. That is not democracy.”

He added that despite the massive destruction in Gaza and what he described as two years of Israeli genocide, Palestinian public consciousness has only deepened. “If given the opportunity, the Palestinian voter would vote for the resistance,” he said.

Mishaal also voiced strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s Gaza stabilization plan, warning that attempts to forcibly disarm Hamas or impose foreign rule would sabotage any chance for peace. He clarified that Hamas negotiators had agreed only to discuss ceasefire arrangements and prisoner exchanges, not disarmament.

“We will not accept being forcibly disarmed,” he said, emphasizing that Palestinian weapons are limited and defensive in nature.

While acknowledging the reluctance of Arab and Islamic states to directly confront Israel, Mishaal said only Washington possesses the leverage to compel Israel to honor agreements.

“President Trump and the American administration alone are capable of compelling Israel and Netanyahu to respect the agreements,” he said.

The full interview, conducted in Arabic and translated into English by Drop Site, provides one of the most detailed articulations in recent months of Hamas’s political vision, ceasefire conditions, and critique of US and Israeli policies amid the ongoing war on Gaza. (ILKHA)