Hamas’ Political Bureau member, Salah Al-Bardawil, said that the US President, Donald Trump, does not have an integrated and clear vision to resolve the Palestinian issue, warning that  the American plans aim  to liquidate the Palestinian cause.

In a meeting with a group of writers and intellectuals on Tuesday in Gaza City, Al-Bardawil, said the agenda  that will be presented to the Palestinian president in Washington will negatively affect the Palestinian issue, stressing that great pressure will be exerted upon Abbas to agree to the American vision to resolve the Palestinian issue.

He added, “President Abbas went to Washington without consulting anyone; something he shouldn’t have donedue to the great pressure he will be placed under”.

Al-Bardawil pointed out that the Palestinian people hold all the cards in the international scene which Abbas is ignorant of. He said, "It is inconceivable that we back down to an unknown plot being fabricated against Gaza”.  

He called upon the honourable leaders of the Fatah movement to unite alongside all factions and loyalists of the Palestinian people to resist the political attack targeting the Palestinian cause.

Palestinian Liberation Organization

In the meeting, Al-Bardawil renewed the call for the rearrangement of the PLO's documents to ensure that all Palestinian factions are included within them and that serious elections take place in order to establish  new programs and visions.

He expressed sorrow for the transformation of the PLO into a project for the Authority, saying, "The Authority is represented only by its president, which in turn represents the Palestinian people."

He also said that Hamas will end the conspiracy against the Gaza Strip by all means which hugely disregard the rights of the Palestinian people.  

He pointed out that Hamas sat with all Palestinian factions to keep them noted on the political developments and the amount of pressure Abbas is imposing on the Gaza Strip.

He added, “ Our patience does not mean weakness or giving up, and we will be sure to pursue our rights through our Egyptian neighbours and the League of Arab States, where everyone who played a role in disregarding the rights of the Palestinian people will be held accountable”.  

Employees' salaries

Al-Bardawil said that the Fatah leadership in the Gaza Strip informed Hamas during a meeting that the deduction of salaries of employees from the Gaza Strip will stop next month.

Al-Bardawil said: "We asked the delegation of the Fatah leadership in Gaza, whom we sat with a few days ago, to restore the amounts that were deducted from the employees”. He pointed out that the delegation invoked that the deductions derived from internal problems in the Fatah party. However, Al-Bardawil hit back saying “This is a national problem, and not internal to a particular party”.

He then inquired, “ Why is the punishment (salary deductions) directed towards the people of Gaza only?”, stressing that these actions have been imposed by Abbas prior to his visit to Washington.

Administrative Committee

Regarding the Unity government in Gaza, Al-Bardawil reiterated the movement’s  will for the government to exercise its duties in Gaza and resolve the administrative committee immediately.

Al-Bardawil was surprised by the harsh language of  Abbas towards Gaza while accusing it of not agreeing to the Qatari initiative, adding that the movement already submitted its response to the initiative. He said "We should hear from Qatar  on who has agreed to the initiative and who hasn’t”.  

He stressed that the Palestinian issue is greater than all people and will not accept it to be a field of experiments, adding, “This stage will neither frighten nor weaken us”.

He continued, “ We and the Palestinian people will not give up and we will carry out everything necessary to serve our people. This is our message to all and it is inconceivable that we lose to an unknown plot”.

On the assassination of the ex-detainee and Hamas leader,  Mazen Al-Fuqaha, Al-Bardawil said that many of the circumstances surrounding his assassination have been revealed, and these revelations will be well received by the Palestinian people.

Al-Bardawil stressed that the Hamas movement continues to support the uprising in the occupied West Bank, warning the occupation of the consequences of any aggression against the Gaza Strip, saying, “Whoever attacks us will be taught a hard lesson”.