by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Hamas on Thursday firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza and transform it into a so-called “freedom zone,” dismissing the idea as a nonstarter and asserting Palestinian sovereignty over the territory.
Trump made the controversial remarks during his ongoing Middle East tour, stating, “I think I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone,” suggesting U.S.-led redevelopment and resettlement in Gaza.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim responded sharply, declaring that Gaza “belongs exclusively to the Palestinian people and not a building up for sale in a real estate market.” He added, “Palestinians are prepared to make sacrifices to defend their land and deserve freedom and dignity like any other nation.”
Naim also indicated that Hamas remains open to political solutions, saying the group is “ready to transfer governance of Gaza to any agreed-upon Palestinian body.”
The group also leveled fresh accusations against the Israeli government, charging that it is deliberately dragging out the ongoing war in Gaza and rejecting ceasefire proposals.
History of Hamas
Hamas was founded in 1987 during the First Intifada as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza. Formally known as Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement), it positioned itself as a religious-nationalist alternative to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), with the goal of establishing an Islamic state in all of historic Palestine. From the beginning, Hamas combined political activism, social services, and armed resistance, gaining grassroots support for its uncompromising stance against Israel.
Its 1988 charter cast the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a religious war, declaring that all of Palestine—“from the river to the sea”—is Islamic land that cannot be surrendered. It rejected peace talks and called for Israel’s destruction through jihad, drawing on Islamic texts and invoking conspiracy theories, including anti-Semitic claims that blamed Jews for global turmoil. One of the most notable elements of the 1988 Hamas Charter is its quotation of a hadith widely associated with Islamic End Times narratives, stating that the Day of Judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews. This prophecy has been interpreted by some radical groups as a divine mandate for war, framing the conflict not merely as political, but as part of an apocalyptic struggle. From the charter:
“The Day of Judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews, when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say: ‘O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.’”
This hadith, found in Sahih Muslim, is interpreted by many radical groups to mean that the final confrontation between Muslims and Jews is a necessary step before the arrival of the Mahdi (the guided one) and the return of Jesus (Isa) to defeat evil and establish justice.
While not all Muslims accept this eschatological view, Hamas incorporates it into its ideology, portraying its struggle as part of a larger, prophetic battle. This religious framing elevates the conflict beyond politics, casting it as a cosmic confrontation with apocalyptic significance that further entrenches divisions and complicates prospects for peace.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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