Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk has retracted statements he made yesterday, stating: "I was misunderstood and we do not recognize the legitimacy of the occupation." Abu Marzouk had suggested the possibility of the movement recognizing Israel and becoming part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a step towards ending the divisions among Palestinian factions.
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Abu Marzouk said: "You should follow the official position... the official position is that the PLO has recognized the State of Israel." It is noteworthy that the PLO, 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, stated: "We seek to be part of the PLO and respect its commitments," adding that "Hamas is still striving to establish a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders." He emphasized: "Israelis should not gain their rights at the expense of others." He also confirmed that "elections will determine who manages the Gaza Strip."
