Haniyeh: Birzeit student council victory proves Hamas cannot be ignored

The Islamic bloc’s victory in the Birzeit University student council elections proves that it is not possible to ignore Hamas or eradicate the movement, the head of its political bureau said yesterday.

Ismail Haniyeh made the remarks by phone during a celebration organised by the Islamic bloc to celebrate its victory at the university.

“The student council elections in Birzeit cannot be separated from the surrounding environment, and we are still living in a state of division and exclusion in the management of national affairs. This was clearly manifested in the convening of the National Assembly without agreement and by excluding strong forces and factions in our Palestinian arena from it,” Haniyeh said.

“These elections are important beyond the university’s borders, although it is a student union, and this is an honour for the Islamic bloc to chair the student council for the fourth consecutive year,” he added.

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Haniyeh called for a unified national council based on the Beirut and Cairo understandings and to build a strong PLO that includes Hamas and Islamic Jihad and protects the PFLP as an historic faction in the PLO.

He also called to build a strong political system through free and fair elections and national unity and to end the division.

Haniyeh stressed that Hamas supports holding presidential and legislative elections.

Earlier this week, the pro-Hamas Al Wafaa Islamic bloc won 24 seats out of 51 in the Birzeit University Students Council elections with a total of 3,784 votes.

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