The Hamas movement issued a statement Wednesday urging the Palestinian Central Council’s meeting in Ramallah to seize the opportunity to forge a unified national position in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The group criticized the meeting’s partial format, stating it fails to reflect national consensus or include all Palestinian factions, coming 18 months after the war’s outbreak.

Hamas called for the Council to honor the Palestinian people’s sacrifices by adopting measures to halt the war and restore unity. It urged the implementation of prior Council resolutions, including ending security coordination with Israel, cutting ties with the state, and intensifying resistance against Israeli occupation, settlement expansion, and efforts to fragment the West Bank into non-sovereign enclaves.

The group further pressed the Council to reject external control over Palestinian political life, revitalize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) through genuine partnership, and pursue legal action against Israel in international courts for alleged crimes.

The statement coincides with a rising death toll in Gaza, where the Palestinian Health Ministry reports 51,266 fatalities and 116,991 injuries since October 7, 2023. Since Israel resumed its offensive, nearly 1,900 have been killed and 5,000 injured, according to the ministry.

Hamas’s remarks underscore the urgency of unified action as the Israeli aggression continues to devastate the region. (ILKHA)