GAZA CITY, Palestine

Hamas reaffirmed its willingness Saturday to cooperate with any initiative to counter attempts to displace Palestinians and reconstruct the Gaza Strip, provided that Palestinian rights remain untouched.

"We are ready to cooperate with any initiative that aims to counter the displacement of our people from Gaza and to rebuild the Strip, without compromising Palestinian rights—particularly our people's inalienable right to resist the occupation.” Mohammed Darwish, head of Hamas’ Leadership Council, said in a message addressed to the upcoming Arab Summit in Cairo.

Darwish emphasized that Hamas “is committed to completing the remaining phases of the ceasefire agreement, leading to a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, reconstruction, and the lifting of the siege.”

He stressed that "the post-war future of Gaza must be entirely Palestinian, based on national consensus and supported by Arab partners."

Darwish noted that Hamas “expressed willingness to engage with any Palestinian-agreed solution, whether through the formation of a national unity government composed of technocratic Palestinian experts and professionals or through the establishment of the Social Support Committee proposed by Egypt to manage Gaza’s affairs under existing Palestinian laws.”

He firmly rejected "any attempt to impose non-Palestinian administrative arrangements or the presence of foreign forces in Gaza."

Darwish also expressed Hamas’ appreciation for the unified Arab stance against Palestinian displacement, especially the positions of Egypt and Jordan.

He urged Arab nations to actively participate in Gaza's reconstruction, describing it as "the most crucial step to strengthening Palestinian resilience, preventing forced displacement, and thwarting Israeli attempts to depopulate Palestinian land and seize control over it."

The US president has repeatedly called for America to "take over" Gaza and resettle its population to redevelop the enclave into "the Riviera of the Middle East."

The idea has been vehemently rejected by the Arab world and other nations, who said it amounts to ethnic cleansing.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place since Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza that has killed nearly 48,400 victims, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.