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Hamas condemns PA actions to undermine lifting of Gaza siege

July 11, 2018 at 10:07 am

Charities locked out of Gaza due to the siege [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Hamas has welcomed all efforts to alleviate the suffering of the besieged people in the Gaza Strip, the movement’s Political Bureau said on Tuesday. However, it also condemned the Palestinian Authority’s attempts to undermine efforts to ease or lift the siege.

“All serious initiatives are welcomed with open arms and we appreciate the efforts made by more than one party in this regard,” said the bureau. “However, the movement deplores the PA’s attempt to disrupt these efforts under the illusion that the easing of the humanitarian situation in Gaza is part of the ‘deal of the century’.”

A statement from Hamas pointed out that the PA is contributing to the siege by imposing sanctions, cutting salaries and obstructing regional and international efforts to have it lifted. “This is separating the Gaza Strip from the West Bank — intentionally or unintentionally — and paves the way for Trump’s deal.”

READ: Poll: 79% of Palestinians want PA to lift sanctions off Gaza 

Furthermore, said the Political Bureau, our movement strongly condemns any official or unofficial Arab or local attempts to normalise relations with the Zionist entity. “Indeed, Hamas values greatly all Arab, Islamic and international models that boycott the occupation and oppose the normalisation with the criminal racist entity.”

Regarding Palestinian reconciliation, Hamas announced its desire to achieve national unity on the basis of resistance and joint decision-making: “The Political Bureau stresses that national reconciliation can be achieved when the unjust sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip are removed immediately; when the PLO is restructured through a new national unity council based on the 2017 Beirut agreement; and the terms of the 2011 Cairo agreement are implemented fully.”