Speakers at the press conference in Ramallah with Nabil Abu Rudeineh (second from right) \and Ahmad Assaf (second from left). (WAFA Images / Tamer Bana) 

RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 21, 2019 (WAFA) – Palestinian official stressed today that plots and schemes against the Palestinian people and cause, whether they come from the United State, Israel or Hamas, will not succeed and are doomed to failure.

Information Minister Nabil Abu Rudeineh, who is also spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, said at a press conference in Ramallah the Palestinian relations and contacts with the US administration will not resume unless the latter goes back on its previous anti-Palestinian decisions.

He said that despite US efforts to make contact with the Palestinian leadership through many intermediaries, President Abbas insisted on not resuming relations with the US administration until it rescinds its illegal decisions on Jerusalem.

The US administration is co-plotting with Israel against the Palestinian people and attempting through its dominant influence to drag some regional countries to its positions, said Abu Rudeineh.

“No Arab country would accept what President Abbas does not accept. Thus, there is a complete rejection of this conspiracy,” he said in reference to the US Mideast plan, dubbed deal of the century.

Referring to Hamas’ rise to power in Gaza almost 12 years ago following its coup, Abu Rudeineh said that this coup marked the start of the so-called Arab Spring, which he described as a colonialist scheme, and noted that Hamas was actively pursuing the facilitation of the so-called deal of the century.

“Hamas has to realize that the separation of Gaza from the West Bank would mark the beginning of the end of the Palestinian national project,” he asserted.

Speaking at the same event, Ahmad Assaf, General Supervisor of the Official Palestinian Media, also slammed Hamas for what it is doing in Gaza against peaceful protesters demanding a better life, particularly targeting the media covering these events.

“We talked and are still talking about the Israeli occupiers targeting our media which did not stop doing its work for one minute,” he said. “Our headquarters were shelled and our staff was attacked. We understand the goals that make the occupation target the media because it exposes its crimes against our people.”

At the same time, he added, “we cannot ignore what is going on against the Palestinian media in general and the official media in particular in Gaza. The coup authorities in Gaza sill occupy the TV and radio headquarters in Gaza and they refused to relinquish them even during reconciliation talks."

Assaf said that covering the popular uprising in the Gaza Strip has upset Hamas, which explains its crackdown on the official media crews operating there, adding this will not stop them from doing their work.

Assaf accused Hamas of being part of the American deal of the century plan, which is why it is trying to silence the media.

K.F./M.K.