Palestinian factions in Gaza unite to oppose Trump's plan
Members of Hamas, Fatah and the PFLP stood shoulder to shoulder in their opposition to Trump deal
Published date: 28 January 2020 17:10 UTC | Last update: 15 hours 30 min ago
In a rare show of unity, Palestinians from different political factions inside the Gaza Strip held a protest against US President Donald Trump's "deal of the century".
Holding anti-Trump placards, members of Fatah, Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine marched together through Gaza, hours before Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reveals his plan to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The protest took place as Hamas's political leadership was invited to an emergency meeting with bitter rival Fatah and other political factions to discuss their response to Trump's proposed deal.
Meanwhile, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to express his support for the position taken by the Palestinian Authority. He also called on parties to put their differences aside and form a unified front.
Ismail Radwan, a member of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza, said the show of unity between the different Palestinian parties was a sign to show that Palestinians from across the political spectrum refused Tuesday's deal.
He said he fears that the deal will hand over all Palestinian land to the Israelis and that Palestinians will not allow it to pass and come into action.
"The security coordination with the Israeli occupation must be stopped," Radwan told Middle East Eye.
"We are running out of choices and all options on how to respond to this deal are now on the table. Palestinians have been deprived of their rights for decades and they will not let this [deal] pass without a fight."
Munther al-Hayek, commissioner of the Fatah movement in Gaza, was one of the participants in Tuesday's demonstrations.
He outlined how Fatah in Gaza supported calls by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to block Trump's deal and renewed demands for the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.
"The question of the city of Jerusalem is ideological, not political, like Mecca for all Muslims," Hayek said.
Hayek said a call for a unified popular resistance in the Palestinian territories will be one of the first items on the meeting's agenda.
"We in the Fatah movement in Gaza want to send a message to Abbas that there will be real national unity," he said.
Hayek noted that last year, Fatah boycotted a summit in Bahrain where Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner was to reveal the economic aspect of the proposed deal.
He said the Palestinian leadership had no choice but to reject negotiations since entering them put them in a "position of weakness."
The Manama meeting included dignitaries from several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Abbas refused to attend the meeting and urged other Arab states to boycott the summit.
posted by Satish Sharma at
15:04
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