A senior official in Hamas has hinted at the possibility of the movement recognizing Israel and becoming part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a step towards ending divisions among Palestinian factions. Musa Abu Marzouk stated in an interview with Al-Monitor: "You should follow the official position... the official position is that the PLO recognized the state of Israel."
It is noteworthy that the PLO, which serves as the internationally recognized umbrella for most Palestinian factions except Hamas and Islamic Jihad, officially recognized "Israel's right to exist" in 1993. In return, Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people. In this context, Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas's political bureau, said: "We seek to be part of the PLO and respect its commitments," adding that "Hamas still strives to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders."
Abu Marzouk emphasized: "Israelis should not obtain their rights at the expense of others.” He also confirmed that "elections will determine who governs the Gaza Strip."
This comes as Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, announced that the movement is open to discussing any initiatives that lead to the cessation of hostilities without "excluding Palestinian resistance from any future arrangements." Haniyeh added in a televised speech yesterday, "We are open to discussing any ideas or initiatives that lead to stopping the aggression and opening the door for organizing the Palestinian house on the level of the West Bank and Gaza Strip."
The Hamas leader warned that "any bets on arrangements in Gaza or the Palestinian issue in general without Hamas and the resistance factions are illusions and mirages."
