During a visit to Russia, the head of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement’s political bureau has praised Moscow for defending Palestinian rights and dismissing a pro-Israel proposal devised by the US on the Middle East conflict.
At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Monday, Ismail Haniyeh said that Russia has a long history of backing the Palestinian cause.
According to a press release on the Hamas website, Haniyeh “thanked Russia for supporting the Palestinian rights at different regional and international platforms.”
“He also expressed his appreciation to Russia for its position towards [US President Donald] Trump’s deal, as rejecting the deal comes in line with the consensual stance of the Palestinian people,” it added.
Trump released his self-proclaimed “deal of the century” during an event at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on January 28.
Trump outlines contentious Palestine scheme, says Quds will be Israel’s ‘undivided capital’
The so-called ‘Vision for Peace’ bars Palestinian refugees from returning to their homeland, regards Jerusalem al-Quds as “Israel’s undivided capital” and allows the regime to annex West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley.
All Palestinian groups have unanimously rejected the US scheme, which largely meets Israel’s demands while creating a Palestinian state with limited control over its own security and borders.
On February 2, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump’s proposal is not fully compliant with United Nations Security Council resolutions
Peskov further noted that the negative reaction of Palestinians to the US initiative “raises doubts over its viability.”
Elsewhere in his remarks during Monday’s meeting, Haniyeh stressed that Hamas supports all endeavors towards Palestinian reconciliation, saying he is ready to meet President Mahmoud Abbas along with the other Palestinian factions under the auspices of Russia, Egypt or both.
Lavrov, for his part, reiterated the importance of Palestinian unity and expressed Russia’s readiness to help Palestinians unite in order to stand strong against Washington’s scheme.
Moscow, he added, “rejects the deal and does not think it is a plan that achieves peace and security in the region.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lavrov and Haniyeh had “held in-depth discussions on measures to restore Palestinian national unity on the political platform of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, as well as on various aspects of developments in Gaza, including in the context of efforts taken towards a lasting and comprehensive settlement in the Middle East based on international law.”
