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Hamas Negotiator on Gaza Ceasefire, Palestinian Rights, and Resistance
In December in Doha, The Grayzone’s Aaron Mate interviewed senior Hamas negotiator and former Gaza Health Minister Dr. Basem Naim. Dr. Naim described the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire as largely ineffective due to Israeli violations, including ongoing attacks, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and closures of the Rafah crossing. He emphasized that Hamas has complied with its obligations, while Israel has not, making discussion of a second phase premature.
Dr. Naim stressed that decisions about Gaza’s future must involve all Palestinian factions, rejecting international proposals that marginalize Palestinians. He supports limited international involvement to supervise ceasefires, aid delivery, and reconstruction at Gaza’s borders, but strongly rejects unconditional Hamas disarmament, citing Palestinians’ legal right to resist occupation. Long-term ceasefires could be possible only if tied to a credible political process toward a sovereign Palestinian state.
He criticized the UN for vague resolutions selectively applied to Israel, reaffirmed Hamas’s support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem and the right of return, and highlighted the ongoing fragmentation between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. He also discussed Hamas’s efforts to secure the release of political prisoners, including Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.
Dr. Naim framed Hamas’s October 7 operation and other acts of resistance as responses to decades of siege, occupation, and systemic injustice, arguing that resistance is inevitable under such conditions.
Hamas negotiator talks to The Grayzone about new barriers to Palestinian freedom
— The Grayzone (@TheGrayzoneNews) December 25, 2025
This December in Doha, Qatar, The Grayzone’s Aaron Mate sat down with senior Hamas negotiator and former Minister of Health in the Gaza Strip Dr. Basem Naim to discuss the fractured ceasefire in… pic.twitter.com/mFRpstFdVe
Aaron Maté is a journalist and producer. He hosts Pushback with Aaron Maté on The Grayzone. In 2019, Maté was awarded the Izzy Award (named after I.F. Stone) for outstanding achievement in independent media for his coverage of Russiagate in The Nation magazine. Previously, he was a host/producer for The Real News and Democracy Now!.
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