Arab States Helped Draft ‘Deal of Century’: Hamas

Date: 23 February 2020 - 21:50

News ID: ۷۶۴۵۵

GAZA STRIP (Dispatches) – Deputy Head of Hamas’ Political Bureau Saleh al-Arouri says some Arab countries have contributed to drafting the U.S.-Zionist plot against Palestinians known as "the deal of the century”.
Speaking to a local TV channel, Arouri said all Palestinians are against the so-called "deal of the century” plan.
"We are ready to meet with all Palestinian groups in order to establish a real national program to counter the deal of the century,” he said.
The Hamas official added that the plan targets the entire region, but its central part is against Palestine because if it cannot eliminate the Palestinian issue, it would be difficult for it to move on to other steps.
Arouri went on to say that some Arab countries have contributed to the efforts to draft the American-Zionist plan.
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his long-delayed Middle East plan, a proposal Palestinian leaders called a "conspiracy” that "will not pass”.
Following Trump’s announcement, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said "a thousand no’s” to the plan.
The American plan has sparked widespread international condemnation.
The "deal of century” ploy, fronted by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, had already been rejected by the Palestinians, who say the White House’s policies have been blatantly biased in favor of the occupying regime.
Palestinians have cut off all contacts with the Trump administration since the U.S. president broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognize al-Quds as the so-called capital of the Zionist regime in December 2017.

Pope Against Plan

Meanwhile, Pope Francis on Sunday warned against "inequitable solutions” to the Zionist-Palestinian conflict, saying they would only be a prelude to new crises, in an apparent reference to Trump’s Middle East proposal.
Francis made his comments in the southern Italian port city of Bari, where he traveled to conclude a meeting of bishops from all countries in the Mediterranean basin.
"The Mediterranean region is currently threatened by outbreaks of instability and conflict, both in the Middle East and different countries of North Africa, as well as between various ethnic, religious or confessional groups,” Francis said.
"Nor can we overlook the still unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, with the danger of inequitable solutions and, hence, a prelude to new crises,” he said.
The participants included Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head of the Latin Patriarchate of al-Quds, whose jurisdiction includes the occupied territories, the Palestinian territories and Jordan.
It was believed to be the first time the pope has spoken in public about the Zionist-Palestinian conflict since Trump announced the plan on Jan. 28.