Hamas praises Albanese's ‘courage', claims credit for Palestinian recognition
Rejecting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's claim that Hamas would be 'totally opposed' to the move to recognise Palestine as part of a global effort to progress a two-state solution, one of the militant organisation's top officials praised the government for showing 'political courage' and urged other nations to follow suit.
Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of Hamas who has been arrested several times by Israel, made clear the group rejected the rival Palestinian Authority's calls for it to demilitarise and be excluded from Palestinian election s, conditions Albanese cited when explaining the decision to recognise Palestinian statehood.
'We welcome Australia's decision to recognise the state of Palestine, and consider it an important step towards achieving justice for our people and securing their legitimate rights,' Yousef, one of Hamas' most senior officials in the occupied West Bank, said in a statement to this masthead.
'This position reflects political courage and a commitment to the values of justice and the right of peoples to self-determination.
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'We call on all countries, especially those that believe in freedom and human dignity, to follow Australia's example and translate their positions into practical steps to support the Palestinian people and end their suffering under occupation.'
The Israeli government and federal opposition have vehemently opposed the government's move to recognise Palestine, saying it rewards Hamas' terror tactics and would embolden the group to continue fighting in Gaza.
Albanese has rejected that argument, telling Channel Seven's Sunrise on Tuesday: 'Hamas will be totally opposed to this decision. Hamas don't support two states, they support one state.'
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Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza has killed almost 62,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children, according to local health authorities. The UN projects 2.1 million people in Gaza are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, while 470,000 are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Hamas has still not released all of the Israeli hostages. Mr Albanese has said Australia's recognition is tied to a commitment that Hamas play no role in a future Palestinian state. Almost 150 out of the 193 UN member states have already recognised the state of Palestine, including EU countries Spain and Ireland. The coalition has pledged to reverse Australia's position if it wins the next election.
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Israel's far-right's finance minister has announced will would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, a move his office said will "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. The Palestinian government, allies and campaign groups condemned the scheme, calling it illegal and saying the fragmentation of territory would rip up any internationally backed peace plans for the region. Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Maale Adumim on Thursday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development, though there was no immediate confirmation from either. "Whoever in the world is trying to recognise a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground. Not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighbourhoods," Smotrich said. Israel froze construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012, and again after a revival in 2020, because of objections from the US, European allies and other powers who considered the project a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians. The move could further isolate Israel, which has watched some of its Western allies condemn its military offensive in Gaza and announce they will recognise a Palestinian state. Palestinians fear the settlement building in the West Bank - which has sharply intensified since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the Gaza war - will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area. In a statement headlined "Burying the idea of a Palestinian state," Smotrich's spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. 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Israel froze construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012, and again after a revival in 2020, because of objections from the US, European allies and other powers who considered the project a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians. The move could further isolate Israel, which has watched some of its Western allies condemn its military offensive in Gaza and announce they will recognise a Palestinian state. Palestinians fear the settlement building in the West Bank - which has sharply intensified since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the Gaza war - will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area. In a statement headlined "Burying the idea of a Palestinian state," Smotrich's spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. In Maale Adumim, Smotrich told Reuters the plan would go into effect on Wednesday, without specifying what would happen on that day. Breaking the Silence, an Israeli rights group established by former Israeli soldiers, criticised Smotrich, accusing him of encouraging West Bank settlement activity while the world's attention was on the Gaza war. "This land grab and settlement expansion will not only further fragment the Palestinian territory, but will further entrench apartheid," it said. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the Palestinian president's spokesperson, called on the United States to pressure Israel to stop settlement building. Qatar, which has mediated between Hamas and Israel in efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, condemned Smotrich's actions as a "blatant violation of international law". Palestinians were already demoralised by the Israeli military campaign which has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities, and fear Israel will ultimately push them out of that territory. About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised by most countries but has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank. The UN and most world powers say settlement expansion has eroded the viability of a two-state solution by fragmenting Palestinian territory. The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel. Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Canada imposed sanctions in June on Smotrich and another far-right minister who advocates for settlement expansion, accusing both of them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel's far-right's finance minister has announced will would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, a move his office said will "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. The Palestinian government, allies and campaign groups condemned the scheme, calling it illegal and saying the fragmentation of territory would rip up any internationally backed peace plans for the region. Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Maale Adumim on Thursday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development, though there was no immediate confirmation from either. "Whoever in the world is trying to recognise a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground. Not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighbourhoods," Smotrich said. Israel froze construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012, and again after a revival in 2020, because of objections from the US, European allies and other powers who considered the project a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians. The move could further isolate Israel, which has watched some of its Western allies condemn its military offensive in Gaza and announce they will recognise a Palestinian state. Palestinians fear the settlement building in the West Bank - which has sharply intensified since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the Gaza war - will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area. In a statement headlined "Burying the idea of a Palestinian state," Smotrich's spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. In Maale Adumim, Smotrich told Reuters the plan would go into effect on Wednesday, without specifying what would happen on that day. Breaking the Silence, an Israeli rights group established by former Israeli soldiers, criticised Smotrich, accusing him of encouraging West Bank settlement activity while the world's attention was on the Gaza war. "This land grab and settlement expansion will not only further fragment the Palestinian territory, but will further entrench apartheid," it said. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the Palestinian president's spokesperson, called on the United States to pressure Israel to stop settlement building. Qatar, which has mediated between Hamas and Israel in efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, condemned Smotrich's actions as a "blatant violation of international law". Palestinians were already demoralised by the Israeli military campaign which has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities, and fear Israel will ultimately push them out of that territory. About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised by most countries but has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank. The UN and most world powers say settlement expansion has eroded the viability of a two-state solution by fragmenting Palestinian territory. The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel. Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Canada imposed sanctions in June on Smotrich and another far-right minister who advocates for settlement expansion, accusing both of them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
