Osama Hamdan a leader in the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas revealed that his Movement had presented an initiative which provides clear answers to many issues to complete the national reconciliation process and at the same time it will reveal who is obstructing the national reconciliation.
In a special interview with the PIC Hamdan also charged Israel with procrastination regarding the issue of Israeli soldiers captured by the armed wing of Hamas in Gaza.
He stressed that the Egyptian authorities are exerting great and serious efforts to implement the reconciliation agreement signed by the Palestinian parties which was obstructed by the other party referring to the Fatah movement.
He asserted that Mahmoud Abbas should respond (positively) to this move taken by Hamas adding “Mahmoud Abbas’s positive response to this step will undoubtedly serve the Palestinian national interest the healing of the Palestinian people and the end of the division” he said.
The Hamas initiative included the dissolution of the administrative committee in the Gaza Strip and inviting the national consensus government to come to the Gaza Strip to carry out its tasks and duties immediately. It also includes the approval of holding general elections and accepting the Egyptian call for dialogue with Fatah on the mechanisms and implementation of the Cairo Agreement of 2011 and forming a national unity government as part of a dialogue in which all Palestinian factions which signed the 2011 agreement take part.
“If Abbas denies these understandings and refuses to take the path of reconciliation I think he will be the first and biggest loser. There is no doubt that the Palestinian people also will suffer” he said.
He stressed that his Movement and other Palestinian parties will not allow any party to go on with harming the interests of the Palestinian people. He pointed out that his Movement formed the administrative committee when the government of Rami Al-Hamdallah didn’t assume its responsibilities and duties. “We always demanded that there should be a real government that fully takes responsibility in the Gaza Strip” he said.
Hamdan expressed his optimism about the positive outcome of this issue in light of Egypt’s efforts pointing out that Hamas is ready to hold a meeting with all Palestinian parties with a clear goal of achieving the Palestinian reconciliation.
He pointed out that Hamas had not held any bilateral meetings with Fatah during the previous hours saying “Nothing prevents holding any meeting but such a meeting should be clear in terms of agenda and it should be serious and has a clear goal of achieving reconciliation.”
Dissolution of the Administrative Committee
With regard to the dissolution of the Administrative Committee and how things will be following Hamas’s recent decision Hamdan said that the Movement has announced its decisions as part of the Egyptian efforts to achieve a Palestinian national reconciliation and if we do not achieve what we seek the Egyptian brothers in cooperation with Hamas will take actions to protect Gaza.
He pointed out that “Forming the Administrative Committee and dissolving it was not related to the interests of Hamas as much as it was necessary to protect the Palestinian people and to ensure the proper functioning of governmental agencies to carry out their duties towards the Gaza Strip.”
“I think we are entering a new phase of the relationship with Egypt a positive one and we are going to have more positive relations with Egypt whether Mahmoud Abbas responds positively or does not to this step. There are a number of understandings that push this relationship forward” he said.
“If Mahmoud Abbas takes positive positions there will be an opportunity for all to restore the Palestinian national unity. If he does not we will not allow the Palestinian people to be harmed.”
Internal meetings
Commenting on the visit of the Hamas delegation to Cairo headed by the chairman of the Movement Ismail Haneyya Hamdan explained that the main objective of the visit is to end the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for 11 years which the people of Gaza faced with unprecedented steadfastness.
He pointed out that the steadfastness of the people of Gaza requires the Palestinian leadership to work to end the siege expressing hope that the results and efforts of the meetings between Hamas and Egypt will lead to ending the siege on the Gaza Strip especially during the current visit of Haneyya.
Speaking of the internal meetings held by the delegation of Hamas in Cairo Hamdan revealed the existence of such meetings noting that the presence of Hamas’s leadership led by Haneyya was an opportunity to meet and discuss key issues of interest to the Movement.”
He pointed out that the main objective of the Hamas delegation’s visit to Egypt is to meet with the brothers in Egypt and address the issue of reconciliation and discuss bilateral relations between Hamas and Egypt as well as the Palestinian-Egyptian relations in general.
Commenting on the issue of the four Palestinians kidnapped in Egypt Hamdan stressed that there is an Egyptian promise to work hard as soon as possible to uncover the mystery of this issue and end it according to him.
Addressing the issue of the person who will be in charge of the deputy head of the Political Bureau of the Movement Hamdan did not identify him explaining that this issue has its own mechanisms circumstances and arrangements and when the Movement decides who he will be it will announce all details.
The captured soldiers
Regarding Israeli captured soldiers in Gaza and negotiations with Hamas on this issue the Hamas leader said that Hamas discussed with the Egyptian authorities this file.
Hamdan added that the issue of soldiers is not the concern of Hamas and Egypt alone; rather it is of more concern to Israel which is still reluctant in its decisions. Such a position had led to the resignation of the Israeli official responsible for negotiations he pointed out.
He explained that Hamas has a previous experience and a clear and good performance in this file and has proved its usefulness and effectiveness although it took a long time. He added “The Shalit deal was completed after 5 years and we should not hurry things up and this does not mean that we lag behind and there is a serious follow-up at the level of the leadership of the Movement.”
He added “There are members in the Movement who are in charge of following up this issue. I hope that the matter will take its time and at the same time to give who manages this file all the confidence and to believe that the end will bring joy to our people and the families of the Palestinian prisoners in particular.”
He noted “There is growing frustration in Israel with the performance of the Israeli government regarding the issue of captive soldiers and there is an Israeli procrastination and we should recognize the existence of a division within the Israeli occupation government”
Haneyya tour
Hamdan expected that during the coming period there will be tours and external visits to the capitals of the region and the world’s capitals by a delegation of the Movement headed by Ismail Haneyya.
He said: “It is natural that a delegation of the Movement led by Haneyya would visit Tehran and when the visit’s time comes it will be announced and there is nothing to prevent it” stressing that Hamas’s relations with all countries are based on its non-intervention in the internal affairs of these countries and their support to the Palestinian issue and that relations must be two-sided and not one-sided.”
