Senior Hamas official: 'Tunnels are for us, the UN can take care of Palestinian citizens'

[question everything]

Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau, said in an interview with the RT network in Arabic that the tunnels built in Gaza were meant to protect Hamas - and not the residents of the Strip. "It is the responsibility of the UN to protect them," he said.

"Everyone knows that 75% of the residents of the Gaza Strip are refugees - and that it is the responsibility of the United Nations to protect them. The responsibility of the occupation (Israel) to provide them with all services as long as they are under occupation - in accordance with the Geneva Convention," according to Marzouk.

On Monday, Abu Marzouk said in an interview with Al-Jazeera that "the Palestinian Authority and several Arab countries are secretly calling on the West to eliminate Hamas." According to him, "We expected a lot from Hezbollah and our brothers in the West Bank, but we are amazed by the shameful position of our brothers in the Palestinian Authority."

Mousa Abu Marzouk headed the Hamas delegation that visited Moscow last week. The Russian news agency TASS reported that "contacts were held with him in continuation of the Russian line on the immediate release of foreign hostages in the Gaza Strip, (the sides) also discussed issues related to ensuring the evacuation of Russian and other foreign citizens from the territory of the Palestinian enclave."

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bk00giq0fa

[SickOfTheOnePct]

1. But, but,

Israel!

[radicalleft]

2. So if I'm reading this correctly

The Palestinians (not Hamas) have absolutely NO ONE looking out for them? They are dying because a criminal organization is hiding among them that they are powerless to do anything about.

[The Magistrate]

4. Pretty Much, Sir

Would that it were otherwise, but it is not.

[Earth-shine]

5. Well said - "a criminal organization is hiding among them"

Hamas is not a government. It's not even an authoritarian regime.

They are just terrorists and thugs.

[Igel]

6. It's been said that

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

Gazans voted for Hamas.

That "criminal organization" is a military, a charity, and a religious faction of sorts. "Movement"? Whatever. It's triune, three aspects of one entity.

Disentangle them in your thinking, and you're wrong. They're entirely intertwined in reality.

Note that this isn't "Palestinians"--these are in several groups. Those in Gaza, those in Israel, those in the West Bank, those in Jordan, in Lebanon, even in Syria and Turkey. It's the Gazans that put their trust in a thin reed.

[radicalleft]

8. So if I understand your comments (I may be wrong)

You are blaming the "Gazans" for their suffering? Is that your point?

[Celerity]

10. the last Palestinian legislative election occurred around 3 months after I turned 9 years old, on 25 January 2006

you said

Gazans voted for Hamas.

well...............

Half of Gaza's population is under 18.

Here's what that means for the conflict

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/18/1206897328/half-of-gazas-population-is-under-18-heres-what-that-means-for-the-conflict

[question everything]

11. And this could happen if Israel withdraws from the West Bank

Originally it was the Palestinian Authority that took control of Gaza after Israel withdrew but Hamas was fighting it and took over.

The head of the Authority is in his 80s. He promised to have elections some years ago but everyone knows that more extreme forces will take control.

[EndlessWire]

16. I don't understand what you are saying.

What is the connection between Israeli withdrawal from the WB, and Gaza? I know that everyone expects that the PA will take over, but Gaza should become their own country and elect their own government, maybe with a little help from the UN helping them to accomplish that. It probably won't look like what the West likes, but we can hack it.

It should happen like that because the PA and Hamas don't get along. Israel shouldn't be doing the deed just for the WB. That will look terrible. Israel should withdraw from the WB.

I am not sure what you are saying. I read the Wiki piece on another thread about the attempt to give Palestine its own space, but in order to hook the two enclaves together they had some wild plans to provide roads, overpasses, and sundry permissive roadways with controls of the passages going some to Palestine, and some to Israel. This was back when they almost got the job done. Of course it fell through.

I think that Israel should withdraw and and stay the hell away from both parts of Palestine. A three state solution is best, IMO. Gaza can be set up quite nicely; whatever the WB is now doing might have to be adjusted. But, this would give more control to Gaza than they will ever get being part of the WB. They don't have to have either Hamas or the PA in there. As distasteful as it is, they are going to need support from the UN and the West.

[question everything]

19. The idea is that both Gaza and the West Bank are part of the Palestinian state

Yes, strange. I think that Jared Kushner had a proposal to build a tunnel that would connect both parts. Great, tunnel..

Hamas certainly wants to represent the Palestinians in the West Bank. The last clashes were when Hamas presented itself as the protector of the mosques in Jerusalem.

I agree that Gaza should not be part of the Palestinian state in the West Bank but Hamas will never agree to it.

Gaza is the size of Monaco and I think that it has beautiful beaches along the Mediterranean. It would be nice if it could be a finance and tourism center but… will never happen.

[sabbat hunter]

28. Abbas

wants to continue to steal from the Palestinian people until his dying day. Just like Arafat.

[Beastly Boy]

3. A big "fuck you" from hamas to the Palestinian civilians.

"Shelter? Water? Fuel? We got ours, you get yours. Shut up and deal with it!"

[question everything]

13. Always have

See the elections that led to Hamas taking over Gaza

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016367434

and the subsequent bloody killing

Gaza: Armed Palestinian Groups Commit Grave Crimes

https://www.hrw.org/news/2007/06/12/gaza-armed-palestinian-groups-commit-grave-crimes

[SleeplessinSoCal]

17. and more on that election

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/10/was-hamas-elected-to-govern-gaza-george-w-bush-2006-palestinian-election.html

[Igel]

7. That deserves billboards and air-dropped flyers. All over Gaza.

And Lebanon. And the West Bank.

"Your heroes and martyrs said, ...".

Sadly, some will say, "Yes, *we* are responsible for them!" They're free to sponsor their livelihoods once the hostilities stop and transfer funds to rebuilt their dwellings and maintain their families. Note that the oppressed Gazans have a birth rate greater than the West Bank's and a death rate lower than the West Bank's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_State_of_Palestine

[Maru Kitteh]

9. When they tell you who they are, believe them.

[Xolodno]

12. This line....

"but we are amazed by the shameful position of our brothers in the Palestinian Authority"

What.
The.
Fuck?

They violently overthrew the PA in Gaza and actively work on making sure to suppress any support for them. They want to see the PA completely collapse so they can fill the vacuum. These two groups hate each other. That's some serious hubris coming from them. And on top of that, the PA has called for restraint and aid for Palestinians in Gaza. Good grief.

[Cha]

14. TY for making this an OP.. .

Last edited Wed Nov 1, 2023, 02:14 AM - Edit history (1)

Yeah, Hamas Doesn't give a Shit about Palestinians.

[Lancero]

18. ...You do know that MEMRI is a far-right source, right?

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/middle-east-media-research-institute-memri/

Maybe, just maybe, find a more credible source rather than pushing far-right sources?

[Cha]

20. No I did not know that or I woud't have

posted it. The same news that's posted in the OP by Al-Jazeera.

TY I'll edit.

[question everything]

22. This does not negate the validity of this interview unless you think that the source invented it..

[Lancero]

29. Far-right websites shouldn't be linked here. Find a more Democratic source, rather than a Freeper one.

[question everything]

31. Can you direct us to a list of "far right" sources?

[Lancero]

32. I linked a extremely good resource for checking that in a prior post. Feel free to go back and actually read it.

[Cha]

15. HAMAS Broke May 13, 2023 Ceasefire on Oct 7, 2923..

Last edited Wed Nov 1, 2023, 06:57 PM - Edit history (1)

Israel and Palestinians agree to cease-fire ending days of fighting and bloodshed

May 13, 2023

TEL AVIV — Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have agreed to a cease-fire ending five days of fighting between the two sides, one U.S. official and one Israeli official told NBC News on Saturday.

The cease-fire was mediated by Egypt and will start at 10 p.m. local time.
“Now, this agreement has been reached thanks to continuous Egyptian effort. We appreciate this effort,” Mohamad al-Hindi told the Al Kahera Wal Nas channel.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-palestinians-agree-ceasefire-ending-days-fighting-bloodshed-rcna84300

[Mossfern]

24. 2929?

I don't get it.

[Cha]

25. Sorry.. my eyes are bad.. I'll edit. I don't

know how I got a 9 when I meant a 3.

TY for the correction.

[Mossfern]

26. You're welcome

I did read the article very carefully though to see where it was.

[Cha]

27. Good.. Thanks again.

[LiberaBlueDem]

21. Gaza and the West Bank ++++

Put them all together, have Israel butt out and let them elect a government with UN and Arab support. Sounds like a plan.

[question everything]

23. And have a repeat performance of Hamas taking control and attacking Israel again? No, thanks

[SickOfTheOnePct]

30. Could you elaborate on what you mean by

“butt out”?

[Maru Kitteh]

33. k&r