HAMAS Political Bureau Deputy Chief Musa Abu-Marzuq has said that the resistance’s victory in Gaza has brought unity and reconciliation between Palestinian factions much closer than ever before.
Abu-Marzuq declared that Fatah and Hamas had stood alongside each other in this battle ‘which is a wonderful situation that brings us closer to reconciliation. It is also the best requirement for restoring normalcy to life among the sons of our people and to keeping them in contact with each other.’
He noted that the Hamas leadership’s stance was united with the stances of all the Palestinian factions during the period of the eight-day aggression on Gaza.
‘A joint command was formed by the factions to lead the war and guarantee its success.’
Abu-Marzuq drew attention to the fact that the martyrdom of the Al-Qassam Brigades deputy commander-in-chief was a huge loss for the movement which cannot be evaluated under any circumstance.
‘But the movement and its sons and members are many. With respect to the losses among the martyrs and the equipment of the fighters, these were limited, but civilian losses were huge.’
He noted that the gains Hamas accomplished during the war were greater than any accomplished in previous wars. ‘This time round, Hamas forced all sides to recognise the fact that it is one of the most important constituents in domestic decision-making.’
He noted that many gains were realised for all those who stood alongside the movement, either supporting or backing the movement whether politically or through material means.
‘These people feel that they accomplished part of their gains, and that it is enough for Egypt to have returned to its normal status in the political realm, which has become more understanding since the arrival of President Mursi as president and leader of the region than it ever was before.’
He affirmed that Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, has unmanned aircraft that played a role in monitoring a number of Israeli military targets before the aggression. He pointed out that these are ‘locally-made by the Al-Qassam Brigades themselves.’
He mentioned that one of the Al-Qassam Brigades aircraft managed to conduct two sorties during which it took pictures and located Israeli military targets and then returned to its base safely, while advanced Israeli technology was unable to detect or target it.
‘Furthermore, the occupation had announced that it targeted workshops for manufacturing the planes in Gaza, but it actually did not succeed in doing so.’
On the details of the latest calm agreement, he said: ‘There are still a few pending matters relating to the coastline and the areas the occupation calls buffer zones.
‘There are huge problems with respect to the crossings. However, the occupation will most definitely allow the entry of equipment and essential materials into the Gaza Strip.’
He added: ‘We do not want any restrictions or prohibitions regarding the crossings. We want freedom of movement between the West Bank and Gaza.
‘Everything should go back to what it was before and the two areas should be like one piece as regards the movement of goods and trade, not only with respect to import and export only.
‘This is an urgent and necessary matter linking the two areas together so that the land of the occupied territories remains connected as one entity and territory.’
He drew attention to the fact that talks with the occupation continue via Egypt regarding the sea port, the airport, and the crossings. ‘We want things to return to what they were like before, whether as regards the Rafah Crossing or the other crossings, as well as the air and sea lines, which are still facing problems. Fishermen have to be allowed to fish in all the regional waters up to 20 miles as defined in the Oslo Agreement, which commits the PNA.’
He said that all these matters are under implementation and fall within the details relating to the cease-fire and not targeting the citizens, as well as restricting their movement. ‘This was agreed upon and the occupation must abide by it.’
However, he affirmed that Hamas does not have any faith that the occupation will abide by the truce, as it usually does not do. ‘The occupation’s leaders do not stop their threats and war-mongering, which is the only language they know how to use.
‘They tried two wars after many threats and emerged from them having incurred huge defeats. If they want to try a third war, no one can stop them.’
He noted that the occupation’s leaders use the war not for security purposes only, as they claim, but sometimes also for electioneering or to send messages or try out their weapons, or even to unite their domestic stance.
With respect to the movement’s expectations on continuing the calm for a longer period of time, he said: ‘This matter depends on the enemy and where it thinks it will get to in the end.
‘It also depends on the extent of its abidance by its pledges in the Egyptian paper of understandings.
‘If it does not abide by its pledges, the Palestinian people and their resistance will respond with the same methods to acquire their rights.’
He affirmed that the resistance cannot cancel its objectives at any phase. ‘If there is a calm agreement, for the resistance fighters, it will be akin to a warrior’s respite, and the occupation will not wait long before it resumes its war again.’
He said that his movement will abide by the articles of the calm agreement, adding: ‘There are some mechanisms that were agreed on in case the occupation violates the truce, at which time the whole matter will be evaluated based on the extent and nature of the violation.’
On the possibility of the presence of a united strategy for the resistance, he clarified that such a success relates to the presence of a national programme in which all parties participate and agree on on the basis of the resistance.
‘This matter will see the light after a meeting of the newly-elected national council, which is the side with the authority to form a committee to represent the PLO and approve a unifying national programme for the Palestinian whole.’
In another context, the Hamas Political Bureau deputy head affirmed that since the first day after the death of deceased President Yasir Arafat, his movement stated that his death was not natural and that he was targeted by the occupation through various intelligence methods.
He continued: ‘Instead of exhuming his remains now, the PNA should not have buried him then until after finding out the truth. This is where the authority failed regarding this matter.’
With respect to Abbas’s latest step of acquiring recognition of the state as an observer member of the United Nations, he said: ‘No one can object to any Palestinian action that benefits our people.
‘However, there are many negative points that could reflect themselves on this move, including the fate of the right to return and that of the holy places, and also that this move is not conditional on any detraction of the Palestinian people’s rights.’
Abu-Marzuq clarified that Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khalid Mish’al’s visit to Gaza is under study and discussion, as is his attendance of the festivities on the launch of the movement on 8 Dec 2012.
He noted that the Tunisian president and the Turkish prime minister have also expressed their wishes to visit Gaza. ‘They are both extremely welcome in the Gaza Strip, which will celebrate their visits because they both have distinguished stances towards our people and are a source of pride for us.’
With respect to the cause of the prisoners, Abu-Marzuq affirmed that his movement is always asking the Egyptian mediator to apply pressure on the occupation to remain committed to its pledges and end administrative detention, searching detainees while naked, and torture in the prisons.