The Hamas resistance movement says US President Donald Trump’s upcoming plan meant to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot deprive the Palestinian nation of Tel Aviv-occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.
Speaking in Gaza on Wednesday, Head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh said Jerusalem al-Quds cannot be divided into eastern and western sectors as the whole city is “Islamic” and belongs to the Palestinians.
He stressed that Trump and his conspiracies against Palestine could not change the holy Israeli-occupied city, adding that the US president’s plan — which is called the “deal of the century” — would not have the power to take away al-Quds or the al-Aqsa Mosque from the Palestinians.
“The city of al-Quds is neither eastern nor western but Islamic, and not Trump, the American administration, the Zionist-American alliance, the international silence, the conspiracy, normalization or the transfer of the embassy to al-Quds can change the facts,” he said.
In December 2017, Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel. He also moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the Israeli-occupied city in May 2018.
While little is known about Washington’s upcoming proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, leaks have suggested that under the initiative the Palestinians would only get some neighborhoods on the outskirts of Jerusalem al-Quds rather than the original city.
Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said, “Trump and [Israeli prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu are planning to terminate the Palestinian cause by removing Jerusalem [al-Quds] from any solution, annexing major settlements and finding a capital for us on the outskirts of Jerusalem [al-Quds).”
This while the Palestinians view the eastern part of Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of their future state.
The Trump administration is set to unveil the economic portion of its plan on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during a conference in Manama, Bahrain, on June 25-26.
All Palestinian factions have boycotted the event, accusing Washington of offering financial rewards for accepting the Israeli occupation.