Mahmoud Al-Habbash: "Since when did Hamas bear arms to say that its weapons are related to the existence of the occupation (i.e., Israel)? The occupation is 77 years old (i.e., since the establishment of modern Israel), or at least since 1967, and Hamas did not bear arms until 1990. On the contrary, it opposed the PLO, which has borne arms since 1964."
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Advisor on Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habbash, YouTube channel, Oct. 26, 2025]