Marking 13 years since Hamas’ coup against the Palestinian Authority and its armed and violent takeover of the Gaza Strip that led to the division of the country, Palestinian factions today described this period as “a dark and painful” time in the history of the Palestinian people.
Fatah spokesman in Gaza, Iyad Nasr, told Voice of Palestine radio that despite the bad and painful memories of the coup, whose anniversary coincides tomorrow, that brought hardships and catastrophes to the Palestinian people for a long time, Fatah movement is ready to forget and forgive in order to end the division and achieve national unity.
He stressed that unity is important now, “particularly since we are at a difficult crossroad and a critical moment that calls for unity and for all nationalist forces to show responsibility in supporting the leadership to be the force capable of achieving the Palestinian rights.”
Member of the Palestinian People’s Party, Walid al-Awad, said “our people in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in the world have lived dark days when Hamas carried out its coup and committed killings and criminal activities against our people.”
He told Voice of Palestine that years of division has left a severe impact on the Palestinian peoples’ political, economic and social conditions and led to a serious deterioration in the Palestinian cause, particularly as the United States and Israeli are using the division to plot against the Palestinian people.
Salim Bardini, secretary general of the Arab Palestinian Front, called on Hamas to get back to its senses and return to the national fold.
The Palestinian cause is going through its most difficult times with the American so-called deal of the century, he told Voice of Palestine, stressing that facing this scheme demands national unity and ending the division while working through the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Member of the Palestinian Liberation Front, Sufian Matar, also told Voice of Palestine radio that Hamas is required to understand that the division should come to an end and that unity is required to confront all the conspiracies facing the Palestinian cause, particularly the deal of the century and Israel’s plan to annex a large part of the occupied West Bank, which is expected to start rolling on July 1.
