Top Hamas Official Ezzat Al-Resheq: Hamas has surprises for the Israeli occupation

On the 27th anniversary of Hamas Movement’s inception, the Palestinian Information Center interviews Top Hamas Official, Ezzat Al-Resheq.
– Hamas was founded to relieve the suffering of Palestinians and to resist the occupation
– Al-Qassam Brigades proved that Hamas can fight Israel with what little they have
– Hamas looks positively to being removed from the EU terror list
– Hamas seeks good local and regional and international relations
– Hamas has been creative and productive politically, socially, militarily
– Hamas is committed to freeing Palestine and Palestinian prisoners
– Unity Government is not acting enough to help Gaza
– Hamas is here to stay—to resist and to help build Palestine.

Actions speak louder than words:
Ezzat al-Resheq, political bureau member of Hamas, stated that Hamas has been following the way of actions rather than talking since the Movement was first established in 1987. He said that when Hamas sends messages in certain events, it expresses the resistance path that the Movement has been following such as “losses it has been inflicting on the Israeli occupation”.

Assuring that Hamas would adhere to the resistance ideology, Resheq said that Hamas would not spare any effort in defending Palestine as long as the Israeli occupation still exists on the Palestinian lands and holds thousands of Palestinian prisoners.

He pointed out that resistance unites the Palestinian people together, which has been obvious throughout the last three Israeli aggressions on the Gaza Strip. “This irritates those conspiring against Palestine, its people, and its rights; yet all their attempts would go with the winds since they, and their objectives and techniques –whether political or media–, are exposed to the Palestinian people,” Resheq confirmed.

Indirect talks with Israel: truce and prisoners’ deal
Resheq said that Hamas has the adequate experience to run any prisoners’ swap deal that honors the Palestinian people and keeps the vow for which the Palestinian martyrs and injured have sacrificed. “Hamas has many bargaining chips that would enable it to firmly take hold of the Palestinian rights out of this criminal occupier.”

Resheq confirmed that there have been no talks in Cairo since Israel informed Egypt it wanted to delay the Gaza truce talks. Yet, he expected some changes as the Israeli government has been through a real dilemma since Netanyahu launched the last Israeli aggression. “Sooner or later, the Israeli government is expected to demand the resumption of the negotiations in this regard,” he added

Al-Qassam Brigades
Resheq, talking about the latest videos of infiltration shared by Al-Qassam Brigades, affirmed that the Palestinian resistance, namely Al-Qassam Brigades, would stay in this path. He said that the Palestinian factions’ armed wings are always developing and improving their weapons and techniques in order to surprise the Israeli occupation with what it has never heard of.

“The videos increase the internal division among the Israeli political parties, destroy the myth of the Israeli “invincible army, and expose the lies of the Israeli military.”

“Our resistance to Israel’s occupation and aggressions has not stopped. However, we believe that victory comes when there is patience and continuous preparation on all levels whether political, military, media, cultural, or educational,” he added.

Resheq said he knew the Palestinian military abilities are incomparable with the Israelis’, yet the Palestinian resistance has what the Israeli army has never had: Allah, tenacity and sacrifice.

Hamas Removed from EU terror List:
The Hamas official believes that the Palestinians ought to exploit the European parliaments’ symbolic recognition of Palestine and the removal of Hamas from the EU terrorism list to help in highlighting the Palestinian cause in all the international platforms and organizations.

Resheq stated, “In resisting against the Israeli occupation, we never overlook the international dimension of our cause. These recognitions, even if only symbolic, help expose Israel’s terrorism against the Palestinian people and increase its international isolation.”

Resheq criticized America’s complicity in Israel’s crimes against Palestine. “Any fair and objective observer of the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people would take the Palestinian victims’ side in their call for their rights to live freely on their land,” he added.

Hamas and Iran:
Commenting on Hamas visit to Tehran and the many thanks Al-Qassam Brigades sent from Gaza to Iran, Resheq emphasized that Hamas seeks good relations with all. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has good relations with Hamas regardless of the latest lack of mutual work that resulted from some regional crises; we managed to overcome this misunderstanding and to prioritize the mutual concern against the Israeli Zionist project.”

Unity Government:
Resheq pointed out the two priorities the unity government has to “wholeheartedly” work on: reconstruction of Gaza Strip and the opening of the borders in order to relieve the suffering of the people of the Gaza Strip and the employees who have not got their salaries.

“The reconciliation government is the government of the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Jerusalem. Its denial of its duties in the Strip is unjustified and it deepens the national division.”

Resheq considers the new government’s negligence of Gaza Strip “a negative message from President Abbas visi-a-vis the national reconciliation.”

“However, Hamas shall work with all the Palestinian parties in order to prevent any possible deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip,” he added

Will Hamas run in the next elections?
Asked if Hamas is willing to take part in any coming Palestinian elections, Resheq reminded that Hamas won a landslide victory in the elections in 2006, which proved that the Palestinian people adhered more to the resistance option. “That’s why the path Hamas follows is the path the Palestinian people prefers. Hamas went through the elections only for the sake of helping the Palestinian people and keeping their resistance by avoiding any deviation from the Palestinian national project of resistance.”

Resheq lamented the fact that almost the whole world stood against the will of Palestinians bringing death and siege as punishment for their democratic choice. “We cannot describe the period since Hamas won the elections in 2006 until now as a normal period. It is unfair to say that Hamas practiced government as it has been confronted with boycott, siege, and aggression from all sides.”

Resheq added that Hamas is still adhering to its principles and will not spare any means that would enable it to accomplish its objectives of resistance. “The elections may be one means although we are still under occupation. We showed readiness for taking part in the elections with confidence that the Palestinian people would favor and support the resistance.”

Hamas: survival of the fittest
“The resistance path Hamas chose to free the land and to resist the occupier has never been smooth,” Resheq opined, adding, “It is a rough and complicated path in which Hamas lost its founder and its best leaders; Hamas, however, is still sacrificing for the sake of defeating the occupier and helping the Palestinians live free on their own land.”

However, he believed that the siege, restrictions, and distortions may have an impact for a while but they cannot last.

Resheq stated Hamas started fighting the occupier with stones and bare chests and now it manufactured drones and managed to surprise the occupier from land, air and sea. It is a productive Movement on both the human resources level and the military creativity level. These two combined could deter the occupier each time, terrify it— and win,” he concluded in an afterthought.