Hamas Rejects UN Chief’s Labeling of Palestinian Resistance As ’Violence’

Hamas made the statement on Thursday after Guterres said at a press conference that he does not think it is with “violence” that the Palestinians will be able to better defend their interests.

“Hamas confirms that such a misnomer is not compatible with a genuine human right – i.e. the right to self-defense against the aggression inflicted by an occupying entity,” the Palestinian resistance movement said. “This right to self-defense is a legitimate right in consonance with international laws and norms.”

Hamas underlined that the Palestinian people will never abolish such a right and will continue to fight the ‘Israeli’ occupation and its Judaization schemes until they liberate their homeland.

The Palestinian resistance movement said the terms “violence,” and “terrorism” apply exclusively to the ‘Israeli’ occupation and fascist colonial settlers, who bear full responsibility for escalating the situation, disrupting the lives of the Palestinian people and denying them their national rights.  

Hamas also called on Guterres and the UN to assume their role in endorsing the Palestinian people's rights and their just cause by condemning the ‘Israeli’ occupation and its continued aggression and holding its leaders responsible for their crimes and racist policies in order to allow the Palestinians to exercise their rights to freedom and independence on their homeland.

The Zionist occupation forces launch raids on various cities of the occupied West Bank on an almost daily basis under the pretext of detaining what the regime calls “wanted” Palestinians. The raids usually lead to violent confrontations with residents.

More than 200 Palestinians have been martyred this year in the occupied territories and Gaza. The majority of these fatalities have been recorded in the West Bank.

The figure makes 2023 the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the United Nations began keeping track of fatalities in 2005.

Previously, 2022 was the deadliest year with 150 Palestinians martyred, of whom 33 were minors, according to the United Nations.