State of the World from NPR An Interview with a Hamas Leader
Dec 12, 2025
Basim Naim, a senior Hamas negotiator, discusses the group's surprising willingness to lay down arms for up to ten years if not provoked. He shares his harrowing experience of surviving an Israeli airstrike, which inadvertently catalyzed ceasefire talks. Naim also argues that the aftermath of the October 7th attacks cannot be solely blamed on Hamas, positioning the conflict within a broader context. NPR correspondent Daniel Estrin provides critical insights and the geopolitical implications of their conversation.
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Near-Miss During Ceasefire Negotiations
- Basim Naim described surviving an Israeli airstrike during a meeting about a U.S. ceasefire proposal.
- He and other Hamas negotiators had moved rooms moments before the strike, which hit their prior office.
Conditional Temporary Disarmament Offer
- Basim Naim offered a conditional disarmament proposal: Hamas would stop using weapons for five, seven, or ten years if not attacked.
- He demanded parallel negotiations toward a Palestinian state before full or lasting disarmament.
Clashing Visions For Gaza's Future
- U.S. and Israeli statements framed Gaza's future differently from Hamas's conditional offer.
- The White House and Israel insist on full demilitarization and say Hamas will have no political future under their plan.