ISTANBUL : Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday that tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip have been killed using US weapons, adding that Washington’s veto against the establishment of a Palestinian state at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) effectively provides political protection for Tel Aviv’s actions.
“The US position is deceptive, even though it says it does not want civilians to be harmed, this is an attempt at manipulation. All the civilians killed in Gaza, thousands, tens of thousands of martyrs, were killed with US weapons, with US rockets, under US political protection. What does the US veto of the cease-fire resolution at the UNSC mean? It means that the US is giving full protection and umbrella to the continuation of the massacres and murders against Gaza,” Haniyeh said in an exclusive interview with Anadolu.
He added that the US veto of full UN membership for Palestine shows that Washington has embraced the Israeli position and opposes the rights of the Palestinian people.
Rafah operation could lead to massacre
Haniyeh warned against a possible military operation by the Israeli army in Rafah and said that it could lead to a massacre against the Palestinian people.
“I call on all brotherly countries, our brothers in Egypt, our brothers in Türkiye, our brothers in Qatar as mediators, and the European countries to take action to restrain (Israeli) aggression and prevent the operation in Rafah, as well as the complete withdrawal (of the Israeli army) from the Gaza Strip and the end of the attacks on Gaza,” he said.
Regarding the resistance of the Palestinian people, Haniyeh said “If the Zionist enemy enters into Rafah, Palestinian people will not raise the white flag. The resistance fighters in Rafah are ready to defend themselves and resist attacks.”
Negotiations with Israel
Emphasizing that Israel has not accepted a cease-fire in Gaza despite all the negotiations as dozens of proposals have been submitted through mediators, Haniyeh said: “All it wants is to take back the prisoners and then restart the war in Gaza, and this is not possible. The Israeli army must completely withdraw from Gaza. Israel also does not want the displaced people to return to northern Gaza. It accepts a limited and gradual return. It is unacceptable.”
He emphasized that Israel proposed a small number of people for a prisoner exchange despite having arrested nearly 14,000 Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza since Oct. 7.
“It is Israel and the US, which does not exert any pressure (on Israel), and, that is preventing an agreement from being reached. As soon as Israel accepts these demands, we will be ready to reach the agreement” he added.
Gaza governance after war
Haniyeh stated that Gaza will be governed by Palestinians when the fighting ends.
“Hamas is not insisting on being the sole authority in the administration of Gaza, but we are part of the Palestinian people and can establish a national unity government on a partnership basis and agree on the administration of Gaza. These are national issues. We will not allow the situation of Palestine in Gaza, the West Bank, or both to be regulated by occupiers or anyone else,” he said.
‘Israel imposing media blackout’
Assessing the media’s stance on Gaza, Haniyeh stated that there is good attention and support for what is happening in Gaza in the Turkish, Arab and global media.
He stressed that Israel is imposing a significant media blackout and preventing foreign media members from entering the region to prevent the exposure of its crimes and atrocities from being brought to the attention of the world’s public opinion.
Haniyeh urged Turkish media and other outlets to continue exposing Israel’s crimes, highlighting the dimensions of the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, and breaking Israel’s media blackout.
Following his meeting with Erdogan in Istanbul, he told Anadolu it is the first time he has spoken to an international media organization since Oct. 7.
Killing of his children
Haniyeh noted the attack in which his sons and grandchildren were killed and said it reflected three points: “Firstly, the enemy’s failure to achieve military targets for seven months, except for killing civilians, thousands of children, women, and the elderly. Therefore, the massacre carried out during the holiday in which three of my sons and five of my grandchildren were killed is also included in this context and highlights the failure of the enemy.
“The second aspect is the misconception that such a massacre reaching my home, my children, and grandchildren will exert pressure on the leader and the leadership of the movement to make concessions in the ongoing negotiations, which is misleading. Thirdly, my sons are part of the Palestinian people, and their situation is the same as that of the Palestinian people. From the very beginning, I said that the blood of my sons is no more valuable than the children of the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, or anywhere else,” he said.
Haniyeh added that all martyrs in Gaza, the West Bank, or abroad, are his children,
“Therefore, we are equal in rights, duties, and sacrifices. We accept these with steadfastness, determination and unwavering will. Regardless of the cost and the sacrifices required, we will continue on this path,” he said.
Haniyeh expressed gratitude to the Turkish people for holding funeral prayers in absentia for his children and grandchildren in more than 30 cities.
He said the situation in other countries like Pakistan is evidence of the unity of the ummah and the unity of the ummah’s feelings. — AA