Hussein al-Sheikh mentioned it was his job to work with Israel to cut back the struggling of Palestinians. (File)
Ramallah:
Instantly after Israel’s struggle in Gaza ends, all Palestinian factions together with Hamas should take a severe have a look at the failure of their insurance policies to attain freedom for his or her individuals, a prime Palestinian Authority official mentioned.
Hussein al-Sheikh, 63, mentioned struggle in Gaza after the Oct. 7 assaults on southern Israel meant Hamas ought to make a “severe and sincere evaluation and rethink all its insurance policies and all its strategies” as soon as preventing subsides.
Hamas’ assaults killed 1,200 Israelis, triggering a relentless bombardment and floor struggle that has killed a minimum of 19,000 Palestinians, displaced lots of of hundreds and left a lot of the enclave in ruins.
Hussein al-Sheikh, the final secretary of President Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Liberation Group, is seen by some as a possible successor. His feedback have been the primary time a senior PLO chief has talked publicly about Hamas ways for the reason that Oct. 7 assaults.
Hussein al-Sheikh additionally acknowledged the political path underneath Oslo peace accords was faltering and because it presently stands wouldn’t obtain the ambition of the Palestinian individuals for the institution of a Palestinian state inside pre-1967 borders.
Hussein al-Sheikh and Abbas met senior White Home aide Jake Sullivan in Ramallah on Friday. The Palestinians advised him a brand new worldwide effort was wanted to influence Israel of a complete resolution that features the West Financial institution, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, Hussein al-Sheikh advised Reuters.
“There should be a single Palestinian authorities governing the Palestinian homeland,” Hussein al-Sheikh advised Reuters on Saturday in a uncommon interview in smooth places of work adorned with portraits Abbas and his predecessor Yasser Arafat within the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah.
The West Financial institution is split by an Israeli wall and fence that snakes lots of of miles throughout the hills. Jewish settlers, a lot of whom cite Biblical ties to the land, have lately expanded development in areas that may develop into a future Palestinian state. Most nations deem Jewish settlements constructed on land Israel seized within the 1967 Center East struggle as unlawful.
Regardless of providing welcome verbal backing for a Palestinian state within the conferences, Hussein al-Sheikh mentioned, Washington had not proposed concrete mechanisms or political initiatives. He reiterated a name by Abbas for a global peace convention to forge a brand new route.
A senior U.S. official mentioned this week the thought of a convention had been mentioned with companions, however the proposal was nonetheless at a preliminary stage.
LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE
U.S. President Joe Biden has despatched a sequence of prime officers to the West Financial institution to fulfill Abbas and Hussein al-Sheikh, in search of to revamp the moribund Palestinian Authority to take cost of Gaza as soon as the struggle is over and unify the administration of the enclave and the West Financial institution.
Visiting U.S. officers have mentioned the necessity for reforms to fight corruption, hand over broader govt powers to the prime minister and introduce new blood into the Palestinian Authority.
Regardless of the U.S. efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned on Friday that he wouldn’t enable the Palestinian Authority to run Gaza after the struggle and advised Israel would occupy it as a substitute.
Hussein al-Sheikh mentioned the Palestinian Authority was the official consultant of the Palestinian individuals and can be able to take management of Gaza after the struggle.
Nevertheless, he recognised that the unpopular Palestinian Authority, which many Palestinians see as corrupt, undemocratic and out of contact, wanted to reassess its position. Hamas in contrast has grown in recognition for the reason that assaults, each in Gaza and the West Financial institution, a Palestinian ballot confirmed this week.
Referring to Hamas, which has fought 5 wars in opposition to Israel since 2008, Hussein al-Sheikh mentioned “it isn’t acceptable for some to consider that their methodology and strategy in managing the battle with Israel was the perfect and the perfect.
“In spite of everything this (killing) and after every thing that is occurring, is not it value making a severe, sincere and accountable evaluation to guard our individuals and our Palestinian trigger?
“Is not it value discussing the right way to handle this battle with the Israeli occupation?”
Hussein al-Sheikh mentioned 60% of Gaza was destroyed and it might value $40 billion to rebuild over many years.
The 1993 Oslo peace accords with Israel have been partially profitable, he mentioned, in that they gave Palestinians an id and led to the repatriation of two million refugees to the West Financial institution and Gaza from nations they fled to through the 1948 and 1967 wars with Israel.
He mentioned the PA has been weakened by Israel’s army raids and enlargement of settlements.
Abbas promoted Hussein al-Sheikh final yr. His new position successfully makes him the second strongest man within the PLO, an umbrella for non-Islamist Palestinian factions that doesn’t embody Hamas.
He’s deeply unpopular amongst Palestinians partly because of his liaison position with the occupying Israeli army. Opinion polls give him about 3% assist.
In response to a request for remark, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri mentioned Hussein al-Sheikh was “on the facet of the Israeli civil administration, and him attacking the Palestinian resistance is not shocking”.
Hussein al-Sheikh mentioned it was his job to work with Israel to cut back the struggling of Palestinians.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
