Hamas leader says Gaza's suffering will be used in Israel's election — Dawn
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said Israeli politicians will use the “blood” and suffering of the population of the Gaza Strip in Israel’s election campaign. In an interview with the Qatari TV channel Al-Araby, he said he does not expect changes regardless of which party wins the October 27 election.
According to al-Hayya, Palestinians have suffered from the actions of all Israeli parties. He also said that Hamas does not agree to the use of the blood, suffering and cause of the Palestinian people as “fuel for Israeli elections.”
Elections in Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is competing to retain power in the October 27 election. According to polls, his most serious rival is former Chief of the General Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who was part of Netanyahu’s war cabinet and accused the prime minister of strategic miscalculations.
Netanyahu has said he will not withdraw Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. He also rejected a US-led peace initiative under which Hamas said it was ready to lay down its weapons. Israel is skeptical of this promise.
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Israel’s military operation in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in the displacement of nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip, while most buildings there were damaged or destroyed. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 73,900 people have been killed, Dawn reports.
Talks with Abbas
Al-Hayya said Hamas is ready to sit down for talks with Mahmoud Abbas to lay the foundation for a national program and achieve “genuine unity.” The Palestinian Authority has scheduled legislative elections for November 28. They could be the first in two decades, although there are doubts that the vote will take place.
Hamas won the previous election in 2006, ahead of Abbas’s Fatah. Al-Hayya also said Hamas is working on an alliance with Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah representative who acted as a liaison in dealings with the United States regarding the peace plan.
