Hamas: Gaza Is Free, Without Guardianship, and the People Alone Hold the Right to Decide

Khaled Mashal, head of Hamas abroad, affirmed that the Palestinian people alone have the right to govern themselves, categorically rejecting any form of guardianship over the Gaza Strip. He stressed that attempts to impose external dictates will collapse in the face of the will of the resistance and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people.

In his speech at the “Covenant for Jerusalem” Conference, Mashal stated that the most brutal phase of the Zionist war of annihilation has come to a halt; however, starvation, siege, the closure of border crossings, and the prevention of aid from entering Gaza continue. He described these measures as attempts to punish Gaza’s residents and break their will, emphasizing that the duty today is to mobilize all efforts to救 Gaza by breaking the siege, halting the aggression, and rejecting displacement schemes.

He added that when Gaza launched the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, it did so in defense of Jerusalem and the dignity of the nation. He reiterated the need to pursue leaders of the Zionist entity in international forums and hold them accountable for the crimes of genocide committed against the Palestinian people, and to treat this entity as a criminal enemy that is politically and morally ostracized.

Mashal emphasized that the Al-Aqsa Flood battle was launched for the sake of Jerusalem, and that the Palestinian people and the entire Islamic nation face a major historical responsibility requiring a unified stance to confront the war of annihilation and the schemes aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause.

He warned of the danger posed by the Zionist project in the region, asserting that Zionist brute force seeks to subjugate the peoples of the region to its agenda, and that the Israeli enemy will never be a friend or partner to anyone, nor can it be part of the region’s order.

Mashal called for strengthening Palestinian national unity, rejecting monopolization of decision-making, and building genuine partnerships at home and abroad. He concluded by affirming that “there is no victory without unity,” and that preserving the resistance project and its weapons, saving the West Bank from Judaization, and working to free prisoners from enemy prisons are among the top priorities of the next phase in the struggle for national liberation.