Haniyeh: Israeli vote an internal 'Zionist affair,' won't impact Palestinians

Hamas chief says that when it comes to the conflict, differences between Israeli political parties are ‘very marginal’

The leader of the Hamas terror group said Friday the outcome of the Israeli election won’t impact Palestinians.

Ismail Haniyeh, whose Islamist terror group seeks to destroy the Jewish state, said Israel’s April 9 vote was an internal “Zionist affair.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is locked in a heated race for re-election against a party of former army chiefs, which has criticized him for his failure to deter Gaza rockets. Otherwise, Israel’s long-running conflict with the Palestinians has been strikingly absent from political debate.

Haniyeh added that differences between Israeli political parties are “very marginal” when it comes to policy toward Palestinians.

Since March 2018, Hamas has orchestrated weekly border protests against an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, which have often turned violent. Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent terror groups from arming themselves and attacking the Jewish state, as has occurred in several rounds of conflict since Hamas took over the Strip in 2007.

Egypt brokered an unofficial deal last week to pacify the frontier ahead of elections in exchange for efforts to mitigate Gaza’s acute economic crisis.

On Thursday a top “March of Return” organizer told the Kan public broadcaster that Friday’s demonstrations would be nonviolent, as part of an emerging ceasefire deal with Israel. He said protesters have been instructed not to launch incendiary balloons toward Israel during the rallies, and that the nighttime “confusion units” have been called off.

He said the Egyptian-mediated talks between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers are progressing, and that a ceasefire agreement is being negotiated between the sides.