Hamas official hails Azzam al-Ahmad’s remarks as positive step towards unity

Former Palestinian Health Minister Dr. Bassem Naim marks the UN International Day of Solidarity with the People of Palestine at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa, on 29 November 2023 [Wardah Wilkinson]

A senior Hamas figure, Bassem Naim, described recent remarks by Azzam al-Ahmad, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), as a positive step that should be followed by practical measures to strengthen Palestinian unity. Al-Ahmad rejected labelling Hamas as a terrorist organisation and affirmed that it is an integral part of the Palestinian national fabric.

Naim said the current phase is “the most dangerous since the Nakba,” referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948, and stressed that confronting Israeli plans in Gaza and the West Bank requires ending internal division and agreeing on a comprehensive national programme. He also called for “common ground that reinforces the Palestinian position.”

Earlier, al-Ahmad confirmed he opposed classifying Hamas as a terrorist group or disarming it, adding that contacts with Hamas and Islamic Jihad were under way to discuss their potential accession to the PLO, noting that dialogue sessions were expected soon.

READ: PLO official says Hamas not a terrorist organisation and rejects calls for disarmament

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