Fatah: “Hamas is satanic material… Hamas in our political life is a curse”
Commentator featured on Fatah TV:
"Hamas is satanic"
"Hamas has become a burden…and should be punished"
"Hamas in our political life is a curse"
While many countries, some NGOs, and the ICC all thrive on blaming Israel for Palestinian suffering in the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah has published an interview putting all the blame squarely on Hamas. The guest who was featured on Fatah TV blamed Hamas to such an extent that he even called it "satanic"—a term usually reserved for Israel and Jews. Furthermore, he rejected the idea of Hamas having any part of running Palestinian affairs in the future:
Brussels International Center Director Ramadan Abu Jazar: "Hamas brought disaster on the Palestinian people... On the Palestinian national level, Hamas is satanic material that must not politically remain as part of any Palestinian committee or body in our future…Hamas has become a burden. It was not and still is not innocent or respected and should be punished… Hamas is repudiated today on a Palestinian, regional, and international level, and any entity that may present itself… as a body that is going to rebuild the Gaza Strip [with Hamas] will not receive international or regional support… Any senior Palestinian official who encourages the Palestinian leadership to approach an agreement with Hamas is a partner of Hamas in its crimes against the Palestinian people… The persistence of Hamas in our political life is a curse."
[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Dec. 14, 2024]
How do such comments fit with all the recent statements supporting Fatah-Hamas unity by senior officials in Fatah and the Palestinian Authority, where Fatah is the ruling party?
The answer is that Fatah both hates its political rival Hamas but also needs Hamas. This is the PA/Fatah's dilemma, since Hamas experienced a surge in popularity among Palestinians because of October 7. On the one hand, Fatah shares Hamas' hatred for Israel and thus continues to propagate antisemitic tropes, to weaponize Islam against Israel, and to express overt support for the October 7 massacres. On the other hand, Fatah seeks to erode Hamas' popular support so that it can maintain and expand its own power, potentially to Gaza.
Consequently, the PA/Fatah has been running a sort of dual rhetorical track. Many senior PA officials, such as Jibril Rajoub and Abbas Zaki, promote unity with Hamas, saying that October 7 elevated Hamas to the level of a national liberation movement and that all the fighting factions are really one unit. At the same time, Fatah TV will feature commentators who call Hamas "satanic" and a "curse" due to the destruction resulting from the Gaza war.
Don't be fooled. Fatah and PA TV channels broadcast out of both sides of their mouths. They cheered and supported the atrocities of October 7 and bragged about "stepping on the heads" of Israelis. The PA's most senior officials, such as Mahmoud Al-Habbash, still firmly support "armed resistance," i.e. terror, but they want it to be a "national decision… made in the framework of the PLO."
Any criticism by the PA of Hamas is there to serve one purpose only: the advancement of the PA. It sees an opportunity to take power in Gaza and is trying to create the perception that it is a responsible candidate for the job. However, the PA's ideology has not changed, nor has it been revitalized.