Senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal stated in an interview that while Hamas is willing to 'store' its weapons as part of a potential ceasefire, it will not agree to full disarmament. Mashaal emphasized that disarmament is unacceptable and equated it with stripping Palestinians of their identity, referencing past violence against disarmed Palestinians. He also rejected the idea of an international stabilization force inside Gaza, calling it an occupation, but said Hamas would accept such a force on Gaza's borders. Mashaal praised the October 7 attack on southern Israel, claiming it revitalized the Palestinian cause, and cited growing support for Hamas among American youth.