Hamas Rejects US Plan To Prepare Tony Blair To Lead Gaza's Temporary Government

UN Photo/Amanda Voisard Tony Blair.

JAKARTA - Hamas called former British Prime Minister Tony Blair an "unwanted figure" in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This was conveyed by a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, Husam Badran, via the Telegram messaging application, responding to an Israeli media report,Haaretz, which said the United States was preparing Blair to lead the interim government in Gaza.

Badran called Blair's connection with the plan "a bad sign for the Palestinian people."

Badran also described Blair as a negative figure worthy of trial for his crimes, particularly in the Iraq war (20032011), and called Blair a "demon brother" who has so far not brought goodness to Palestine and the Arab world.

According to Badran, Palestinian affairs, both in Gaza and the West Bank, are "internal issues that must be decided through the national consensus, not forced by foreign parties."

"The Palestinian people are able to regulate themselves; we have the resources and expertise to manage our own affairs as well as our relationships with the region and the world," he said as quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, September 29.

He also revealed that since December 2023, Hamas has decided internally not to continue to rule Gaza alone, even before the current escalation of the conflict.

Regarding the ceasefire, Badran emphasized that his party had not yet accepted official proposals through mediators, but only heard from media issues, including those linked to US President Donald Trump.

He added that ideas from the US and Israel were often sent officially after a long circulation.

Hamas previously said ceasefire negotiations had stalled since Israel's assassination of Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, on September 9, and there have been no new proposals since.

On the sidelines of last week's 80th United Nations General Assembly, Trump presented a 21-point plan to Arab and Muslim leaders to end Israel's two-year war in Gaza.

On August 18, Hamas approved a mediator's proposal for a partial ceasefire and a prisoner swap, but Israel gave no response. In fact, the plan was in accordance with the initiative previously proposed by the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and was approved by Tel Aviv.