Hamas Affirms Palestine Is Able To Secure Its Own Territory Without Foreign Troops

JAKARTA - Palestine is stressed to be able to maintain the security of its own territory, while foreign forces are only needed to protect the Palestinian people from Israel.

This was conveyed by Mousa Abu Marzouk, head of the international relations department of the Hamas Palestinian Movement to RIA Novosti, Tuesday, October 21.

"We Palestinians have the ability to secure our own security. Since the beginning of the agreement, Gaza Strip law enforcement forces have started pursuing riot provocateurs and maintaining security in the Gaza Strip," Marzouk said when asked about the possible deployment of international peacekeepers in Gaza, as reported by ANTARA from Sputnik.

He said the focus should be focused on forming international troops tasked with protecting the Palestinian people from Israeli military action.

"We will support any solution that guarantees the protection of our people," continued Marzouk.

Marzouk said Hamas had all the necessary facilities to maintain internal security.

He considered the presence of the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip to be a major obstacle to stability in the region.

"The cause of instability in the Gaza Strip is the Israeli army, and its full withdrawal from the enclave is critical to stabilizing the situation in the Gaza Strip and ensuring continued security," he said.

Earlier on Sunday (19/10), Israeli forces accused Hamas of firing anti-tank missiles and firing their troops in the southern Gaza Strip, which they called a violation of the ceasefire. The Israeli military then launched an attack on dozens of Hamas targets in the region.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into force on October 10.

On October 13, United States (US) President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, Emir Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a declaration of a Gaza ceasefire.

Hamas released 20 surviving hostages who have been detained since October 7, 2023, while the Israeli side released 1,718 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza and 250 Palestinian prisoners serving a long-term sentence.

Currently, Hamas is returning the bodies of the hostages who died during their detention to Israel.

Under the agreement, Palestine is obliged to return the remaining 28 bodies. A total of 12 bodies have been handed over and identified so far.