In a recent speech given by Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Political Bureau of Hamas  had an important message for US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during his visit to the region. Let's dive in and find out what he said!

Haniyeh's Message to Blinken

Haniyeh wants Blinken to focus on two things during his visit: ending the aggression against Gaza and putting an end to the occupation. He hopes that Blinken has learned from the past and realized the mistakes made by the US in supporting the occupation.

Linking Stability to the Palestinian Issue

Haniyeh also wants the officials of Arab and Islamic countries who will meet with Blinken to emphasize to Washington that the stability of the region is closely tied to the Palestinian issue. He believes that thousands of massacres and destruction cannot bring security or stability unless the Palestinian people obtain their freedom and have their own independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Blinken's Visit

Blinken has started his tour in the region, and his first stop was Istanbul. He will also be visiting Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, and the West Bank. This is his fourth tour in the region since the Israeli war on Gaza began.

Avoiding Escalation

The US State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, commented on Blinken's visit. He said that it is not in anyone's interest for the conflict to extend beyond Gaza, including Israel, the region, and the world. Blinken will be discussing steps to avoid escalation, although the specific details were not mentioned.

So,  Haniyeh wants Blinken to focus on ending the aggression in Gaza and the occupation. He believes that the stability of the region is connected to the Palestinian issue.  

Source: Al Jazeera