John Kirby, the National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator, has condemned Hamas as a terrorist organization and stated that the United States will not support the creation of a Palestinian state under Hamas control. This statement came in response to an interview given by Khalil al-Hayya to the Associated Press. Al-Hayya is a member of the Hamas politburo and serves as the formal deputy of Hamas head in Gaza Yahya Sinouar. He is also part of the Hamas delegation involved in negotiations with Israel through intermediaries.
In the interview with the AP, al-Hayya outlined Hamas’s proposal for the creation of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He suggested that in exchange for a five-year truce, Hamas would disband its militant wing and transition into a political party. Despite recent attacks on October 7, al-Hayya stated that Hamas does not regret these actions, as they achieved their goal of bringing attention to the Palestinian issue.
John Kirby’s remarks underscored the United States’ stance on Hamas and the ongoing conflict in the region. Kirby criticized al-Hayya for his call for hostilities to continue, emphasizing that he should work towards peace rather than perpetuate violence. Kirby also called for all parties involved in negotiations with Israel to uphold their commitments and respect ceasefire agreements in place until October 6th. Overall, Kirby’s statement reaffirmed that there is no way forward without peaceful resolution of this longstanding conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.