Hamas said on Saturday it was ready to hand over its weapons in Gaza to a Palestinian authority governing the territory on the condition that the Israeli army's occupation ends.

"Our weapons are linked to the existence of the occupation and the aggression," chief negotiator for the Palestinian resistance group and its Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said in a statement.

"If the occupation ends, these weapons will be placed under the authority of the state," he added.

On being asked, Hayya's bureau said he was referring to a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.

"We accept the deployment of UN forces as a separation force, tasked with monitoring the borders and ensuring compliance with the ceasefire in Gaza," Hayya added.

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