A Hamas official says the group is ready to discuss “freezing or storing” its arsenal of weapons as part of its ceasefire with Israel. The comments by Bassem Naim in an interview with The Associated Press offer a possible formula to resolve one of the thorniest issues in the U.S.-brokered agreement. The sides, which agreed to the ceasefire in October, are preparing to move into a second and more complicated phase of the agreement. The deal halted a two-year Israeli offensive in Gaza and lays out a plan for rebuilding the devastated territory. Israel launched the offensive in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which Naim called an “act of defense.”