From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Hamas leader says there’s no political solution to conflict with Israel, calls for more attacks
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleGianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh rules out any political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and calls for unifying the ranks of the Palestinian “armed resistance” in the West Bank and for escalating attacks, following Monday’s deadly terror shooting near Hebron.
At a meeting of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leaders held in Gaza, Haniyeh calls for improved coordination between armed factions in the West Bank and notes that the Oslo agreements and any other attempts at a political solution have failed, according to a report by the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News.
The meeting is held to commemorate the 54th anniversary of an arson attack at the Al-Aqsa mosque by a mentally unstable Christian Australian on August 21, 1969.
A spokesman for the PIJ says, “The Al-Aqsa Mosque fire is still burning in our hearts,” and he urges the Palestinian Authority to stop all forms of cooperation with the Jewish state.
He further calls for stronger support by the Arab and Muslim world, both on the diplomatic level and with money and weapons for armed factions.
The Times of Israel Community.