The US Department of State said Thursday the China-brokered deal struck by the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas movements two days ago would unlikely bear fruit in forming a unity government under the umbrella of the PLO.
“It’s important to remember that Fatah and Hamas have signed a number of previous declarations similar to this (Beijing Declaration) that ultimately have gone nowhere,” State Dept. Spokesperson Mathew Miller told reporters on Thursday.
“So, we’ll wait to see what this ultimately means, but I think that’s important context for everyone to remember. “But when it comes to the question about the PLO, I think the important thing is that nowhere in this declaration did Hamas agree to the principles of the PLO,” Miller said.
“Have they ever renounced the destruction of the State of Israel, have they renounced terrorism, And have they committed to nonviolent political means to try to achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people?” he wondered.
“So, I think that tells you a lot about th
eir continued motives, as does the fact that they continue to launch terrorist attacks against the state of Israel,” the spokesperson went on.
“As recently as the last few weeks, launching rockets tells you about their true political motives.
“There have been a number of agreements signed, not just that one, but going back all the way to 2010, 2011, where you’ve seen Hamas and Fatah sign similar so-called reconciliation agreements that ultimately have proven not to be worth the paper that they’re written on. Paper on which they’re written,” he stressed.
Source: Kuwait News Agency