Shaath to Zaman Alwasl: 'Israel lost Battle at all levels'

(Reporting by Abdullah Raja; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

A member of the Central Committee of the Palestinian Fatah movement and Chief negotiator, Dr. Nabil Shaath, revealed to Zaman Alwasl that negotiation team to Cairo would not compromise and let down Palestinian people in achieving their demands to end siege on Gaza, release prisoner and give Gaza a seaport. He mentioned that Israeli team tried to deviate the talks’ direction and restrict it to disarming the Palestinian Resistance and implementing international mandate on Gaza, which then left Cairo without any progress in negotiation.

In regard to breaching the 72 hours armistice when Palestinian resistance launched rockets to Tel Aviv immediately after cease-fire finished, Sha’ath says that Palestinians are under occupation and they have the right to defend and resist according to the international law. He added: “they live under siege, maltreatment and killing by all kind of Israeli arms and airstrikes, and they have the right to fight that aggression”.

The Palestinian negotiator said that aggression on Gaza was a failure and did not achieve what it meant for, besides, its repercussions on the Israeli community still interact. Sha’ath revealed that Israel government had hiden the real numbers of wounded, as the real number of them reached to 1692 one equal to 4 folds of the official numbers. He added that aggression caused dividing in the Israeli political parties, in the same time the Palestinian resistance still in its best condition.

Sha’ath said that Palestinian leadership would do their best to achieve Palestinians demands and resist the occupation. He revealed that they are ready to negotiated on ground of Palestinian rights and freeing Gaza from siege and releasing prisoners. He explained that they would make a round on different countries to judge the Israeli war criminals and bring them to the International Court.

Palestinian International Co-operation Minister insisted on Palestinian people’s needs of a seaport to improve the economical and social life in Gaza, besides lifting the siege and releasing prisoners. He explained that Palestinians need to build their country and prevail their sovereignty. The chief negotiator declared that without achieving those demand, the resistance will continue and negotiation would not succeed.

Sha’ath considered Arab’s attitude toward aggression on Gaza disappointing and not up to expectation, as Arabs did not do anything toward Israel crimes against Palestinians, while for example, Bolivia put Israel on terrorism list after its aggression toward Gaza.

The Palestinian Cabinet Minister perceived that USA supported and participated with Israel in their aggression on Gaza, as it is well known that USA provided Israel with all arms, bombs and rockets to kill Palestinians. Moreover, USA can pressurize Israel to stop aggression and killing Palestinians, but they did not want. However and sadly, the Palestinian Authority cannot announce their opposing attitude toward USA, as they take in account international political balance and do not want to fight on many fronts.

In the end, the Palestinian negotiator insisted on his people’s right of resistance and achieving their demands, he did not think that they would stop their resistance, as that would mean victory to Israel, which has lost the battle at all levels. “we do not want to waste the huge sacrifices Palestinians gave, fighting and resistance will continue as long as Palestinians have not achieved their demands in Cairo negotiations”