Hamas said on Saturday it will not give up its weapons unless an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital is established. The Islamist group described armed resistance as a "national entitlement" that will continue as long as Israeli occupation persists, asserting that international conventions support its stance. Responding to recent comments suggesting the movement might be prepared to disarm, Hamas insisted that it would only consider doing so after Palestinians regain all "national rights," foremost among them statehood. The group also urged the U.S. administration to assume what it called its "historical responsibility" by pressing for an immediate cease-fire, an Israeli withdrawal and an end to the blockade on Gaza.