26 February 2024; MEMO: A member of the Hamas Political Bureau said yesterday that there is going to be an official meeting with Fatah and the other Palestinian factions in Moscow because there is no official communication with the Palestinian Authority regarding the plan for the day after the end of the war in Gaza.
“Rumours of Rafah in the south of being the last stronghold of Hamas are false; the resistance exists across the entire Gaza Strip,” added Mohammad Nazzal. “Moreover, the movement is fighting a fierce political negotiating battle, no less than the battle it is waging on the ground.”
Moving forward with the negotiation process, he said in a press statement, the goal is to prioritise the interests of the Palestinian people. This means an end to the [Israeli] aggression and the provision of relief to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, especially in the north.
“There is no promise to stop the aggression against Gaza yet,” he pointed out. “The [Israeli occupation authorities] are offering a temporary ceasefire for the exchange of captives, after which it will complete its military operation in Rafah.”
The Israeli occupation army has been waging a genocidal offensive against the Gaza Strip since 7 October, with US and European support. Israel has bombed civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and homes. It has also blocked the entry of water, food, medicine and fuel.
At least 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, while 70,000 have been wounded. More than 85 per cent of the 2.3 million population of Gaza has been displaced.
