The PCP Secretary General today condemned Hamas’ attacks on Israel, stressing that they do not serve “the interests of the Palestinian people” but opining that there is a “certain hypocrisy” regarding the treatment of Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to journalists in Amadora, where he took part in a public session on the 2024 state budget, Paulo Raimundo was asked whether the PCP condemns this Saturday’s Hamas attacks.
“There’s no doubt about that. “Anything that involves operations that target the civilian population is always reprehensible, whether it is Hamas or anyone else,” the PCP Secretary General replied.
However, Paulo Raimundo argued that there is a “certain hypocrisy in the air” regarding this issue, given that Saturday’s Hamas attacks are viewed one way and the situation in the Gaza Strip is viewed in another way, with “ nearly three million people completely isolated, without access to water, food or medical care.”
“Some acts are reprehensible because they are acts of terrorist nature, and the others are what? Is it justice? Is it revenge? What is it?” he asked.
When asked whether the PCP considers Hamas a terrorist organization, Paulo Raimundo replied: “Just look at its history, understand who helped finance it, create it, and what was the fundamental purpose of its creation – in particular fighting democratic forces in his own Palestine – to draw conclusions.”
“Anyone who looks at history (…) will realize that if there is one thing that does not serve the interests of the Palestinian people, it is this series of actions. And that is why we condemn these actions, and in particular the innocent civilian victims, who, as now, are the first victims of this process,” he emphasized.
The Islamist group Hamas launched an unprecedented land, sea and air attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the biggest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades.
In addition to killing hundreds of people in Israel, Hamas has also kidnapped more than a hundred Israelis and foreigners it is holding hostage in the Gaza Strip, an area it has controlled since 2006.
The attack prompted Israel to declare war on the Palestinian Islamist group and respond with bombing of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and the EU.
Source: DN
