Birzeit University bans Hamas anniversary event

Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank prevented its students from organising an event to mark the 32nd anniversary of the Palestinian Islamic Movement Hamas, Arab48 reported yesterday.

Hamas’ student branch, the Islamic Bloc, said in a statement that “all harassments, detentions and attacks will not push us to change our slogan: science, resistance and creativity.”

Arab48 reported that an event entitled “With the edge of the sword, we scattered the falsehood” had been due to be held alongside a student march.

However, the university cancelled these events and ordered the students to leave the campus after the student blocs rejected the decision.

Secretary of Financial Committee of the Islamic Bloc in the university, Mohammad Hassan, said: “We have been looking for an opportunity for dialogue with the university board; the student blocs will take a united stance against it.”

READ: Where is Hamas today, 32 years after it was founded

Meanwhile, the Islamic Bloc organised an event at Abu Dis University in occupied Jerusalem during which member of Hamas Political Bureau Musa Duden addressed attendees.

“Hamas will continue its resistance programme despite all the obstacles being laid ahead of it,” Duden said.

At the same time, the Israeli occupation sentenced the Palestinian university student Bushra Al-Taweel to four months under administrative detention, and extended the detention of the female student Shatha Hassan for an extra four days pending investigation.