Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail Haniyeh, political chief of Palestinian resistance group Hamas, says his movement is seeking a truce with Israel in exchange for an end to the latter’s 12-year blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Haniyeh made the assertion in a taped address played during the opening session of an international conference on Jerusalem held Friday in Istanbul.
The event is being attended by more than 700 Arab and Muslim figures who will discuss recent developments pertaining to Jerusalem and the Palestinian national project.
“Today we are seeking -- along with Egypt, Qatar and the UN -- to reach an understanding that could yield a truce [with Israel] in exchange for an end to the siege,” Haniyeh said in the pre-recorded address.
He stressed, however, that the sought-for truce would not have any political strings attached; would not be part of the so-called “Deal of the Century” (a backchannel peace plan proposed by the U.S. administration); and would not lead to Gaza’s separation from the West Bank.
Friday’s conference was organized by the International Coalition for the Support of Jerusalem and Palestine and the Center for Turkish-Islamic Relations.
The two-day event aims to raise awareness about the Palestinian national cause in response to Washington’s recent diplomatic maneuvering in the region and rising authoritarianism in the Arab world, according to organizers.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that a total of 198 Palestinians, including 37 minors, had been martyred by Israeli forces, and 22,000 others injured since the start of mass demonstrations in March against Israeli occupation.Protesters demand the “right of return” to their homes and villages in historical Palestine, from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.They also demand an end to Israel’s 11-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.Israel releases former Hamas MP
198 martyred by Israel since Gaza protests began
Israel released a former Palestinian MP who has been in “administrative detention” since last year.Hassan Yousuf, a Palestinian parliament member, who has just been released from Israel’s Ofer Prison in Ramallah, was welcomed by family and friends.Yousuf told Anadolu Agency that Israeli police have kept him jailed without any charges.“Palestinian prisoners are in harsh condition, and stand alone against Israel,” said Yousuf.Israeli, Emirati ambassadors share table at US eventThe 63-year-old lawmaker, who was frequently taken by Israeli police, has been detained by Israel since Dec. 13, 2017.Under Israel’s longstanding policy of administrative detention, suspects can be held indefinitely without trial or charge.According to Palestinian figures, some 6,500 Palestinians, including some 430 in administrative detention, continue to languish in Israeli detention facilities.This number also includes scores of women and hundreds of minors, the figures reveal.Israel detains two Palestinian fishermen off Gaza coast
Israel releases former Hamas MP