Fatah Official To Al-Jazeera Website:....

[Valin]

MEMRI

....Fatah Members Are Fighting In Gaza; 'As Long As Muhammad Deif Is Still Standing – We Are All In Good Shape'
January 25, 2024

In a January 16, 2024 interview with the Al-Jazeera website, Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki said that members of Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, are fighting in both Gaza and the West Bank, and that "Fatah's ideology, [advocates] liberating all the land of Palestine, despite [the movement's] involvement in the peace agreements with Israel." Addressing Fatah's relations with Hamas, Zaki said that "Hamas needs us and we need it," and added that, as far as Fatah is concerned, Israel's recent assassination of Hamas Political Bureau deputy head Saleh Al-Arouri is no different from the assassination of Fatah deputy head Khalil Al-Wazir (Abu Jihad) in the late 1980s. He also stated that, "as long as [Hamas military commander] Mouhammad Deif is still standing, all of us [Palestinians] are in good shape."

Zaki's comments are in line with statements by other Fatah members who supported Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel and emphasized Fatah's desire for a national reconciliation with Hamas.

The following are translated excerpts from Abbas Zaki's interview:

I Regret That Our Name Has Become Associated With The Illusion Called Peace; Fatah Operatives Are Fighting Israel In Gaza And The West Bank

Question: "About the war against Gaza – what is Fatah's role [today], after the Al-Aqsa Flood events [i.e., Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel], and how do you respond to the criticism regarding the decline of [Fatah's role] on the Palestinian street?

Answer: "Sadly, our name has become associated with the illusion called peace. In the 30 years since [the signing of the Oslo Accords], the movement has not prepared for [military] campaigns [against Israel] as much as it dealt with building the state institutions.  In this [context], Fatah stood alongside the Palestinian Authority (PA) while [also] expressing reservations and criticism, and therefore its role in the resistance was more limited. However, that does not mean that Fatah is not engaged in fighting. There are plenty of Fatah members fighting in Gaza, and even in the West Bank. Despite all the restrictions and agreements that ban Fatah from carrying arms, we do see [its military wing] the Al-Aqsa Brigades waging resistance.[ii]

"I say that the day Isael dares to annex the West Bank, all Fatah members will stand against it, regardless of their affiliation with the PA and its interests. I believe that Israel's aggression will cause all of us to [join] the fray."

Fatah's Ideology Is To Liberate All Of The Palestinian Lands, Despite The Agreements With Israel

(Snip)

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Well So Much For The 2 State Solution.