Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has strongly denounced latest remarks by the White House spokesperson John Kirby against the Gaza-based group and who should govern the besieged territory after the Israeli war winds down, condemning them as “flagrant interference” in the domestic affairs of Palestinians.
“Hamas views the remarks and other similar positions of the administration of US President Joe Biden as a blatant interference in the affairs of Palestinian people, and a continuation of the guardianship approach through which it seeks to maintain control over the decisions and choices of world nations,” the movement announced in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement stressed that Hamas is an integral component of the Palestinian nation, who are steadfast in the face of the occupying Israeli regime, which is being supported by the US administration.
“We will neither allow the US nor any other party to impose guardianship over our free people, who have the highest say in choosing their leadership and determining their fate,” Hamas pointed out.
On Tuesday, Kirby reiterated Washington’s insistence that future post-conflict Gaza leadership could not include Hamas leaders, and claimed Washington did not want the territory of Gaza reduced.
“Whatever governance looks like in Gaza, after this is over, it’s got to be representative of the aspirations of the Palestinian people who are not represented by Hamas,” he asserted.
Kirby also rejected plans by Israel to establish a “buffer zone” within the Gaza Strip and alleged such a proposal is at odds with the Biden administration’s stated policy.
“We do not want to see the territory of Gaza reduced in any way. We won’t support that,” Kirby told reporters.
The United States has supplied Israel with weapons and intelligence support, and blocked UN resolutions calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.
Israel launched hostilities in Gaza following a historic operation by the Gaza-based Hamas resistance group against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. More than 100 days into the campaign, the regime has achieved no objectives despite killing at least 25,490 people in Gaza, around 70 percent of them women and children.
Hamas releases video showing deadliest retaliatory attack in central Gaza
Meanwhile, the armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, has released a video of its Monday’s retaliatory attacks, the deadliest in central Gaza, that left 24 Israeli soldiers dead.
The latest fatalities push the overall death toll among Israeli troops to 221 since the start of the ground invasion of Gaza.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters in Tel Aviv that the Palestinians’ rockets hit a building, where Israeli forces had laid explosives. The strike caused that building and one next to it to collapse, he said.
Most of the soldiers died there while two who were securing the area in a tank were killed by a second rocket, Hagari said, citing an initial inquiry.
