Popular Conference in Gaza: Resistance Is Legitimate Right of All Peoples under Occupation
By: M Shaaban, MINA’s Contributor in Gaza
The Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip renewed their denunciation and rejection of the British government’s decision to classify Hamas as a “terrorist organization”, considering that the decision criminalizes the entire Palestinian national movement and the history of the Palestinian people in the struggle against the occupation.
This came during a popular conference in the presence of Palestinian factions, dignitaries, academics and civil society institutions, which was held on Thursday in Gaza City under the title “Resistance is a legitimate right.. Occupation is terrorism.”
Jamil Mezher, the official of the Popular Front in the Gaza Strip, said in the factions’ speech at the National Congress, “Responding to Britain’s decision requires several steps, including emphasizing that resistance is an obligation on every Palestinian, which will not be overthrown by Britain’s decisions and will not be affected by the tools of terrorism. International charters and laws guarantee the right of resistance. The real terrorism is what the occupation practices against our people, judaization, killing, settlement and arrest.”
He added, “The duty of the free people of the world, as well as the free people of our Arab nation, is to support the resistance with everything possible, with money, weapons, and a firm attitude, in support of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.”
The Palestinian factions called on the free people of the world to “participate widely in a series of continuous activities against Britain and its embassies and consulates around the world and within Britain. We call the free people to organize a comprehensive diplomatic campaign across all Palestinian regions and communities to condemn and overthrow Britain’s decision against Hamas and to expose the ugly face of Britain.”
The factions demanded legal action towards reasserting the humanitarian concepts of resistance, preserving its legitimacy, ensuring international support for it, and not deliberately mixing up resistance with Zionist terrorism.
They stressed the importance of organizing huge media campaign at all regional and international levels capable of employing the Palestinian position and highlighting the crimes of the occupation and delivering the correct Palestinian message.
It also called on the factions to “continue to prosecute Zionist war criminals in international courts for their crimes against our people, noting the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities and moral duties in confronting the unjust decisions that deny the Charter of the United Nations, its laws and the rights of peoples.
Civil Society Institutions Hold Britain Responsible For Occupation’s Crimes
Civil society organizations in the Gaza Strip have held the British government the international and legal responsibility for its association with any Israeli crime against Hamas or against those in solidarity with the Hamas movement and the people in Britain, following Britain’s declaration of Hamas as a “terrorist organization”.
“The new British decision against Hamas represents Britain’s bias towards the occupation, a violation of international law and a targeting of the Palestinian people,” they said.
They added, “Britain stands with and supports the occupation at the expense of Palestinian rights, which makes it once again a partner to the occupation,” stressing that international law has granted the peoples under occupation the right to resist the occupation in all forms, up to their right to self-determination.
They explained that Britain with this decision stands again in the face of the Palestinian people on their way to liberation, self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and this decision again reveals Britain’s position since its mandate for Palestine and the handover of Palestinian lands to the Zionist movement.
Hamas Announces Series of Measures to Confront British Decision
Hamas announced that it had taken a number of political and legal measures at various levels inside and outside Palestine, in response to the British decision of designating it “terrorism”.
Zakaria Abu Muammar, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in the movement’s speech at the National Congress, “Since Friday evening, the movement began a series of contacts with governmental, political and civil bodies around the world to assume their responsibilities towards Britain’s dangerous decision.”
He added, “Our people are meeting in the National People’s Congress to announce their rejection and condemnation of the British government’s decision to consider Hamas a terrorist organization in a British move that represents a political and legal crime against our people.”
He explained, “Britain insists on continuing its aggression against the Palestinian people instead of correcting historical sins it committed and responding to the requirements of international law in protecting peoples under occupation, thinking that the Palestinian people will pass this crime.”
Abu Muammar stressed that the British decision constitutes a crime for all liberation movements in the world and against vulnerable peoples seeking freedom and independence.
Regarding the reaction to the British decision, Abu Muammar said, “We are all confident that Britain today is experiencing the shock of the Palestinian political, popular, national and legal response, after it became clear to it the extent of the illusion that it led them into that the decision will pass unnoticed.”
He asked, “How can Britain, which went on to support the occupation, turn a blind eye to the killing of women and children, the demolition of homes, the arrest of thousands of our people, and the siege imposed on two million people in Gaza, so how can resistance to all this be terrorism?”
He cautioned that Britain, America and their allies think that the British decision will provide security for the Israeli entity. However, the Palestinian resistance is a basic part of the Palestinian cause, regardless the unjust decisions against them. (AK-K-G/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
