Head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh received on Friday evening a phone call from Tunisian President Kais Saied, in which the latter expressed his support for the Palestinian people, especially at this critical time, in the face of the humanitarian consequences of COVID-19.

Saied stressed that he was keen to make the call to restate the value of Palestine and its people for Tunisia.

In spite of the circumstances that his country is going through, Saied added, Tunisia is ready to share its capabilities with the Palestinian people to fight off the coronavirus epidemic.

“Palestine and Jerusalem will remain the Arabs’ core issue until it is liberated from the Israeli occupation,” Saied continued.    

The Hamas chief, in turn, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Tunisian president’s “generous” move and position towards Palestine.

Highlighting the current humanitarian situation in the besieged Gaza Strip and the potential repercussion of the novel virus on the Palestinian people at home and in refugee camps in the diaspora, especially in Lebanon, Haniyeh urged the North African nation to provide urgent medical and humanitarian aid for the Palestinians in Gaza and refugee camps abroad.    

As for the Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, Haniyeh briefed Saeid on the urgent appeal for precautionary measures against COVID-19 by the detainees’ representatives, calling for communicating the detainees’ appeal to the  United Nations Secretary General and other international organisations.

The Tunisian president, meanwhile, promised that he would take necessary steps in this regard, including addressing the UN chief.  

Outlining the close bilateral relations between them, both sides agreed to stay in contact and continue cooperation on several matters, particularly the developments concerning the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem.