Rajoub: October 7 was Palestinian self-defense and Hamas is part of Palestinian people

Headline: “Jibril Rajoub: What happened on Oct. 7 was a cry to remind the world of the Palestinian people’s tragedy” 

“Head of the Palestinian [PLO] Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Jibril Rajoub emphasized today [March 3, 2024], …during a conversation with journalists on the sidelines of his visit to Cairo as part of his participation in the Arab Youth and Sports Council events…: ‘Since the first week of the war, we said that what happened was an outcry in all respects to remind the world of our people’s tragedy and to expose the Israeli occupation and its effort to eliminate the Palestinian cause. Therefore, from the first day, we have implemented a policy that is based on [the view that] what happened is part of a war of defense for which the occupation (i.e., Israel) alone bears responsibility.’ … 

He also emphasized that the majority in Fatah also completely believe that Hamas or political Islam are part of the Palestinian people’s struggle and social fabric, [which] they still constitute, and they all will remain thus… 

Rajoub called to hold immediate bilateral dialogue between Fatah and Hamas to agree on the next stage, but [said] it is essential that there be rapprochement so that a government will be established afterwards, without discussing at length whether to term it a national government, an agreement government, or a government of technocrats. However, he again emphasized the importance of the principle of agreement between everyone on the composition [of the government].” 

[Shorouk News (Egyptian paper), March 3, 2024; Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub, Facebook page, March 4, 2024]