THE HAMAS resistance movement says it will not agree to the creation of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip, warning that US President Donald Trump’s so-called ‘deal of the century’ is aimed at the establishment of a Palestinian state in the impoverished coastal enclave only.
‘We reject this deal, which seeks to undermine the Palestinian cause by taking the issues of al-Quds and refugees off the table,’ Sami Abu Zuhri said in an exclusive interview with Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency.
He added: ‘Our right extends to the whole Palestinian territories, not only the Gaza Strip. Our major goal is not only Gaza, but the liberation of all Palestine.’ The senior Palestinian official further noted that the ‘deal of the century’, the details of which Washington has yet to disclose, is a plan for regional peace rather than a solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Leading Palestinian groups have pledged to reject the Trump administration’s ‘deal of the century’ after reports that the US is soon to publish the plan. ‘The US administration seeks to normalise Arab-Israeli ties and make Israel’s existence inside the heart of the Arab region as normal,’ Abu Zuhri pointed out.
He said the months-long anti-occupation protests along the border between the eastern Gaza Strip and the occupied territories were part of efforts to abort the ‘deal of the century’. ‘Our struggle and sacrifices will make it difficult for those who promote this deal,’ Abu Zuhri commented.
Abbas has described Trump’s plan as ‘the slap of the century’ and has boycotted the US administration since December 2017 when Trump recognised Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital.
