BEIRUT, (PIC)
Managing the Palestinian situation and forming a Palestinian government is a Palestinian affair; the US has nothing to do with it, said Lebanese-based Hamas official Osama Hamdan in a press conference on Wednesday evening.
The comments were in response to comments from US officials that the only way forward in a post-war Gaza is to have a revitalized Palestinian Authority.
“Palestinian people are the masters of their decisions on their land and are capable of managing all their affairs in defense of themselves, their land, their rights, and their sanctities,” Hamdan said.
“Regarding the talk about America and western countries’ efforts to form a Palestinian government, we reiterate that forming a Palestinian government and managing the Palestinian situation is a national Palestinian affair,” he added.
“We manage it with our brothers and sisters from the Palestinian forces and factions, and America or others have nothing to do with it.”
Regarding the prospects for another cease-fire agreement in Gaza and the release of Israeli captives, Hamdan told reporters that the group had “presented a vision” to Egypt in Qatar in response to proposals put forward by those two countries, but accused Israel of “stalling” in its response.
“Any initiative to allow medicine delivery to the captives (in Gaza) should include medicine delivery to Palestinians in Gaza,” he said.
The Hamas official also criticized the international community for its concern about getting medication to the dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, when more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza have been living for months in dire conditions without access to health care.
On the other hand, Osama Hamdan called for “urgent and serious” pressure on Israel and the Biden administration to help the people of Gaza.
“We urge the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League to break the siege of Gaza swiftly and immediately and to compel the occupation to allow official and popular convoys along with medical and civil defense equipment and humanitarian aid to all the areas of Gaza,” he said.
