In a televised address, Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas’ politburo, said that any plans for post-war Gaza that do not include Hamas are unrealistic. “Any arrangement in Gaza or in the Palestinian cause without Hamas or the resistance factions is a delusion,” Haniyeh asserted.

During his speech, Haniyeh expressed openness to negotiations aimed at concluding the ongoing conflict and restoring order within Palestinian-controlled territories, including both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. He claimed that Hamas was ready for discussions that could pave the way for a “political path that secures the right of the Palestinian people to their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

However, Haniyeh’s vision for the future conspicuously omitted any acknowledgment of an Israeli state coexisting with this proposed Palestinian state. This omission aligns with Hamas’ longstanding position, which includes the outright rejection of Israel’s existence. The group has committed to continuous assaults similar to the one on October 7 until its goal of Israel’s destruction is realized.

As with everything Hamas says, Haniyeh’s statements further highlight why a permanent ceasefire in Gaza before Hamas is destroyed is unfeasible, as well as why trying to find a permanent solution – like two separate Jewish and Palestinian states – could never work when one side is bent on the destruction of the other.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)