Haniyeh to normalisers: We won’t recognise Israeli occupation

The meeting was held through video-conference between Ramallah in the West Bank and Beirut, where Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ziyad al-Nakhalah and Palestinian authority chief Mahmoud Abbas attended.

Palestinians were dismayed by the ‘normalisation’ accord with Israel, seeing it as a betrayal likely to weaken a long-standing pan-Arab position that calls for Israel to withdraw from occupied territory. The deal was brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In his speech at the Conference of the Secretaries-General of the Palestinian Factions, the head of Hamas political bureau said that a three-dimensional threat is posed to the Palestinian cause that includes: The Deal of the Century, the annexation plans, and normalisation of ties between the Israeli occupation and some Arab countries.

 “The Deal of the Century is aimed at abolishing the Palestinian constants: Jerusalem, Palestinian lands, and the right to return,” stressed Haniyeh. 

He mentioned that the Deal of the Century tries to rearrange the lists of friends and enemies in the region.

 “No one, whoever s/he is, can ignore our historical rights,” Haniyeh continued.

Commenting on the rush for normalisation by some countries, the Hamas chief addressed normalisers: “We will not recognize the Israeli occupation; it’s not a neighboring country or an ally; it’s not part of the solution and will remain the enemy.”

The top Hamas official highlighted that a national strategy should be developed to tackle the threats facing the Palestinian issue.

The first pillar of this strategy is restructuring the Palestinian home and restoring the Palestinian unity, the second is resistance and steadfastness in the face of the Israeli occupation, and the third one is organising the Palestinian relations with neighbouring countries and mobilising support against the Israeli attempts to penetrate the region through normalization, Haniyeh explained.

 “We have no choice but to succeed in this critical stage,” he continued.

Concerning the Palestinian unity, the senior Hamas official said that the movement is ready to implement all previous agreements immediately to achieve the Palestinian unity.

"Our meeting comes at a very dangerous stage, in which our national cause faces various plots and dangers," Abbas said on Thursday.

"In order to stand together in the trench of confrontation and peaceful popular resistance to the occupation, I invite you here to agree on the formation of a national leadership.", he added.