We followed up with great interest and appreciation the release of 45 prisoners, who were sentenced for security charges, from prisons of Interior Ministry in Gaza.

We stress that this measure reflects that Hamas and the Palestinian security forces in the Gaza Strip are keen on creating a further positive atmosphere as arrangements are being made to hold general elections and as part of commitment to the outcomes of the Cairo talks.

We call on our brothers in Fatah and the Palestinian Authority to offer a positive atmosphere to hold the elections smoothly, end all forms of harassment, restrictions and summons of Palestinian figures, as well as to release political prisoners and lift the ban imposed on media freedoms as many news platforms are still banned by government or presidential orders, such as Al-Aqsa TV channel and Palestine newspaper among others.   

Additionally, a number of presidential decrees issued in 2007 deeming the Palestinian resistance movements as outlawed militias have not been overturned yet.

It is time to completely let go of the past and go ahead with a true Palestinian partnership to rebuild the Palestinian political system on proper foundations.

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas

Thursday

13 Rajab 1442

25 February 2021