Haneyya: Palestinians will not allow a return to the status quo ante in Gaza

Haneyya: Palestinians will not allow a return to the status quo ante in Gaza

Ismail Haneyya, the premier of the PA caretaker government, underlined that the Palestinian people would not allow a return to the status quo ante in the Gaza Strip before the opening of the Rafah crossing even if Hamas”s talks with the Egyptian leadership and Fatah failed.


In a press interview with the Palestine newspaper, Haneyya warned that the Palestinian people will resort to “many options” in the event those talks failed, pointing out that Egypt believes that lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip represents its strategic interest.


The premier strongly denounced the PA leadership and Fatah faction for their positions towards the demands for severing commercial ties with the Israeli occupation and opening new ones with Egypt instead, in addition to their positions of making the Rafah crossing under Palestinian-Egyptian control without any foreign presence.


The premier expressed his shock and dismay at the PA chief Mahmoud Abbas”s statements prior to the commencement of the Egyptian leadership”s talks with the delegations of Hamas and Fatah in Cairo, where he renewed his rejection of conducting any dialogue with Hamas before it fulfils his preconditions including the holding of early elections.


In an unrelated context, Haneyya conducted a telephone call with the newly released prisoner Omar Al-Barghouthi, 55, to congratulate him on his release.


Barghouthi told Palestine newspaper that he was greatly touched by the premier”s telephone contact.