Hamas reiterates rebuff of potential dissolution of ministry of prisoners

Hamas has reiterated its firm rejection of any government line-up entailing the dissolution of the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs, Hamas spokesperson Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri said in an exclusive statement to the PIC at dawn Monday.

Deliberations over the ministry of prisoners’ affairs are still going on, Abu Zuhri confirmed in his statement to the PIC.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas went back over his decision to dissolve the Ministry of Prisoners in the projected unity government to be announced on Tuesday, an informed official source told the PIC.

Abbas has assigned the management of the prisoners’ affairs to Ziad Abu Ein, until otherwise decided, the same sources pointed out

Hamas rejection of Abbas’s decision is attributed to the supreme moral and national values upheld and promoted by the ministry.

Along the same context, Dr. Khalil al-Hayya, member of Hamas political bureau and a reconciliation envoy, said Abbas’s stubbornness vis-à-vis the dissolution means further setbacks in the announcement of the unity government.

Upholding the ministry makes part of a strategic national responsibility that can never be called off, no matter the circumstances and the means, al-Hayya added.

Ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Abbas over the disagreement still persist, al-Hayya confirmed.

The Hamas leader reiterated his movement’s rejection of any potential dissolution of the ministry of prisoners and warned Abbas of the stakes implied by such a monolithic manipulation of decision-making.