PM slams Hamas as senior leader denies praising him
Farid Farid, Andrew Brown and Kat Wong |
The prime minister has pushed back against suggestions he is aiding Hamas by recognising Palestinian statehood as the terrorist group distances itself from a statement applauding Australia’s decision.
Labor’s “political courage” was reportedly commended by Hamas co-founder Hassan Yousef after Australia revealed it would join other nations in recognising Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
But the group’s foreign relations chief, Istanbul-based Basem Naim, poured cold water on the statement making headlines domestically.
“Sheikh Yousef is in an Israeli jail for years now,” Dr Naim told AAP.
“I’m very surprised … I doubt it’s true,” he said, referring to a statement first reported by Nine Newspapers.
Nine clarified on Thursday it had solicited the statement from a spokesperson on Mr Yousef’s behalf, based in the West Bank.
Dr Naim instead referred to a statement the group disseminated on its social media channel and which the Australian prime minister also pointed to on Thursday.
“We affirm that Sheikh Hassan Yousef is being held in poor conditions and is cut off from the outside world, with no means of communication with local or international press outlets,” the statement said.
Mr Albanese warned his political opponents and the media not to engage with “Hamas propaganda”.
The prime minister – weighed down by headlines and commentary suggesting he was doing Hamas’s bidding in imminently backing a Palestinian state – said recognition would help isolate the designated terror group.
“What that should be is a warning to the media of being very careful about the fact that Hamas will engage in propaganda,” he told reporters.
“Hamas do not want a two-state solution – what they want is one state.
“I won’t be a cheer squad for Hamas.”
Dr Naim said efforts from “any party” to recognise Palestine were “very welcomed” but needed to be matched with practical actions.
Opponents of Australia’s recognition move, including the coalition, said the prime minister had got it wrong.
“(The prime minister) must reverse this decision, because when terrorists are cheerleaders for your foreign policy, you need to think again and reverse that position,” Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said.
Almost 150 out of the 193 UN member states have already recognised the state of Palestine, including EU countries Spain and Ireland.
Opposition Israeli parliamentarian Shelly Tal Meron said she was also concerned about Hamas’s purported reaction.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed almost 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including 18,000 children, according to local health authorities, and its government on Friday approved plans to seize Gaza City.
Its bombardment and military action on the strip restarted when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 hostage.
Israel’s government has also throttled aid and food into Gaza for months, and the UN projects 2.1 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, while 470,000 are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Former Labor senator and left-faction heavyweight Doug Cameron said the government should do all it can to support a Palestinian state, including aiding reconstruction efforts when the conflict ends.
“We should not treat Palestine any differently to any other recognised state in the world and there should be an embassy,” he told AAP.
“If the Israeli government continues to kill innocent Palestinians, Labor has got no choice but to implement stronger and effective sanctions against a government that’s committing genocide.”
Israel rejects that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide, a claim that has also been brought against it before the International Court of Justice.
AAP
