Palestinian Authority Presidential Advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash: Hamas Should Acknowledge Its Failures, Reckless Adventures In Gaza, And Hand The Reins Over To The PLO; We Need A United Position To Confront The Occupation

Palestinian Authority presidential advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash criticized Hamas for leading the Palestinian resistance into dangerous corners over the past 16 years, in an appearance on Al-Ikhbariya TV (Saudi Arabia) on January 22, 2025. He called on the group to recognize its failures and engage in retrospection, urging it to hand the reins back to the PLO. Al-Habbash emphasized that Hamas should join the PLO and accept its platform, as their reckless actions have only provided Israel with more excuses to harm the Palestinian cause. He stressed that unity under the PLO is crucial for effectively confronting the Israeli occupation.

Mahmoud Al-Habbash: "Hamas has led the Palestinian cause into dangerous corners and an extremely bad situation. The reckless adventures carried out by Hamas in the Gaza Strip have led Gaza, over the course of 16 years, to six deadly wars, which have completely destroyed the Gaza Strip, have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians, and have injured thousands of others with serious and even fatal injuries, which have left them disabled.

"The fact that Hamas continues on this path means that it wants to destroy the Palestinian cause, one way or another, and is working to achieve that. If Hamas harbors a Palestinian vision and a real patriotic sentiment – and even a true religious sentiment – it needs to conduct a sincere and calm retrospection of all its reckless policies in recent years.

"It needs to acknowledge its failure in the past 16 years, and hand matters back to their [legitimate] owners, the PLO.

"Hamas should join the PLO and accept its platform, so that the Palestinian people can have a united position, and be free to confront the main challenge and danger – the occupation. However, if they continue with these reckless adventures, which only provide the Israeli occupation with more excuses, justifications, and pretexts to harm the Palestinian people and their cause... This requires a serious stand by all Palestinians, as well as by the entire Arab and Islamic nation."