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Hamas's Concept of a Long-Term Ceasefire Independent • International • Interdisciplinary PRIO PAPER www.prio.no 7 gate Hausmanns Address: Visiting Norway Oslo, NO-0134 Grønland, 9229 PO Box Peace Research Institute Oslo(PRIO) Hamas’s Concept of a Long-term Hamas’s Concept of a Long-term Ceasefire: A Viable Alternative to Full Ceasefire: A Viable Alternative to Peace? Full Peace? Visiting Address: Hausmanns gate 7 7 gate Hausmanns Address: Visiting Norway Oslo, NO-0134 Grønland, 9229 PO Box Peace Research Institute Oslo(PRIO) (CSCW) War Civil of Study the for Centre Hudna is the offer of Hamas, the Pales- gain an objective, rather than being a regard themselves as having the legiti- tinian Islamic Resistance Movement, of goal in itself. Nevertheless, one should macy to decide on this issue on behalf an extended ceasefire with Israel. There not underestimate the significance of of the refugees. The hudna, which does are two interpretations of this offer. the hudna. A hudna has the potential of not imply recognition, means that The first is that the hudna is a tactic in being something more than simply a Hamas can postpone the refugee issue. order to have all of Palestine con- tool to reach a goal. In Arab and Is- The whole point of the hudna is that it quered. The second is that it is an Is- lamic tradition, a hudna constitutes a opens for agreements to be made lamic method for conflict resolution phase. First the ceasefire, hudna, then where it is possible to agree, while at which can lead to a permanent peace. the sulh, reconciliation. The most the same time the refugee issue, which In other words, the hudna is either a common outcome of the hudna phase is outside that window of opportunities, tactical ploy, or a serious offer for an is a final peace agreement. may be postponed. ISBN: 978-82-7288-369-9 978-82-7288-369-9 ISBN: www.studoisju.no 7 Studio Design: Islamic peace process. The possible omission of the right of Hamas’s ideas of a hudna are not very This study is based on interviews with return as a condition for a hudna is complicated. They basically comprise a Hamas leaders in Syria, Lebanon and mainly what distinguishes the hudna suggestion of having a Palestinian state Gaza, as well as with representatives from a final peace deal. A hudna is a in exchange for an extended ceasefire. from other Palestinian groups thought partial solution and a temporary After the ceasefire, if there is trust and to have an impact on the policy of agreement. It is not a final peace people are happy, then there will be Hamas. The study finds that the hudna agreement. As long as the refugee issue peace. If not, there will not be peace. is tactical rather than strategic in the remains unsolved, Hamas cannot rec- According to Hamas, this would be up sense that it is thought of as a means to ognise Israel, as Hamas leaders do not to the next generation to decide. Photo: A re Hovdenak. Hovdenak. re Dag Tuastad Dag Tuastad Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Hamas’s Concept of a Long-term Ceasefire: A Viable Alternative to Full Peace? PRIO Paper, November 2010 Dag Tuastad Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) 1 Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Hausmanns gate 7 PO Box 9229 Oslo NO‐0134 Oslo, Norway Tel. +47 22 54 77 00 www.prio.no This PRIO Paper forms part of a PRIO project entitled “The rule of Hamas in Gaza: Rethinking the prospects for Peace”, which has been funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All photos by Are Hovdenak. About the author: Dag Tuastad is a PhD in anthropology and is an associate professor at Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oslo and a senior researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). His current research is on Palestinian politics, on the prospects for political reforms within PLO, the Palestine Liberation Organization. He can be reached at [email protected]. © Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission in writing from the copyright holder. ISBN: 978‐82‐7288‐369‐9 2 Table of contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 5 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 MEANING ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 THE HUDNA OF HUDAYBIYA, THE PRECEDENT FOR HAMAS’S CONCEPT OF HUDNA ........................................ 8 1.3 PURPOSE, VALIDITY AND ARAB TRADITION ................................................................................................. 10 1.4 CONDITIONS ................................................................................................................................................ 12 2 POSITIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 2.2 HAMAS IN GAZA .......................................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.1 Refugees .............................................................................................................................................. 15 2.2.2 On the land swap issue and the return to 1967 borders ...................................................................... 17 2.2.3 On the time frame of the hudna ........................................................................................................... 19 2.3 HAMAS IN SYRIA AND LEBANON ................................................................................................................. 21 3. CHALLENGES ............................................................................................................................................... 25 3.1 THE JIHADIST THREAT IN LEBANON ............................................................................................................. 25 3.2 THE JIHADIST THREAT IN GAZA ................................................................................................................... 29 3.3 THE REJECTIONIST GROUPS BASED IN SYRIA ................................................................................................ 31 4 EVALUATION................................................................................................................................................. 35 5. CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................................ 41 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................... 43 3 Acknowledgements The author would like to express gratitude to everyone who has participated in the realisation of this report. Special thanks to Nidal Hamad for his valuable assistance during fieldwork, and to Mahmoud El-Madhoun and the House of Wisdom for their work in Gaza. Thanks to Gudrun Bertinussen and Are Hovdenak for comments on earlier versions of the report. Thanks to Damian Laws at PRIO for the layout The author wishes to thank the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who supported the project and made this research possible. Finally, thanks to the individuals who agreed to be interviewed and share their experiences and opinions. 4 Executive Summary Hudna is the offer of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, of an extended ceasefire with Israel. There are two interpretations of this offer. The first is that the hudna is a tactic in order to have all of Palestine conquered. The second is that it is an Islamic method for conflict resolution which can lead to a permanent peace. In other words, the hudna is either a tactical ploy, or a serious offer for an Islamic peace process. This study is based on interviews with Hamas leaders in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, as well as with representatives from other Palestinian groups thought to have an impact on the policy of Hamas. The study finds that the hudna is tactical rather than strategic in the sense that it is thought of as a means to gain an objective, rather than being a goal in itself. Nevertheless, one should not underestimate the significance of the hudna. A hudna has the potential of being something more than simply a tool to reach a goal. In Arab and Islamic tradition, a hudna constitutes a phase. First the ceasefire, hudna, then the sulh, reconciliation. The most common outcome of the hudna phase is a final peace agreement. The possible omission of the right of return as a condition for a hudna is mainly what distinguishes the hudna from a final peace deal. A hudna is a partial solution and a temporary agreement. It is not a final peace agreement. As long as the refugee issue remains unsolved, Hamas cannot recognise Israel, as Hamas leaders do not regard themselves
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